How do I find out what the problem is with my second grader??
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Anonymous
+1. On this forum your child is definitely ADHD, likely +anxiety, and possibly sensory-seeking. You will always get that feedback here and from the many, many clinics, therapists and psychiatrists in the region. |
Anonymous
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Request an evaluation either through the school or use you health insurance to see a neuropsych.
If the outcome recommends X, Y or Z, the school has to comply. |
Anonymous
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He's a second grader. School can be boring for young kids. He doesn't have ADHD. Have you read the details of someone who has ADHD? It just sounds like a typical young kid. And just any random teacher who is annoyed with a kid can claim a kid has ADHD.
Leave him alone! He doesn't have ADHD. |
Anonymous
WHAT? I avoided medication for years. My dd first displayed signs of ADHD in preschool, then in K, then in first grade, then in second grade. I didn't medicate until the end of third grade after trying every imaginable accommodation in school, and it not making any difference. Her teacher even kept track of how many prompts and redirections it took in third grade for her to complete a simple worksheet - it was over 10 prompts. That teacher was very patient. My dd herself is glad to be on the medication because she can tell the difference and knows it helps her focus. I would rather not use it really, but it helps. I'm sorry if that offends you. I never ever wanted to medicate, but we ran out of options. My dd was being shunned socially as well, and it was affecting her self esteem. Have you been in my shoes? Do you know what it's like for a young girl to be shunned and not be able to focus no matter how hard she tries? |
Anonymous
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My child had this issue. We contacted the school counselor who went in to do observations and collect data. When was my child attentive, and when not? How often was she on vs off task, and for how long? But not only did he observe my child, he also -- quite correctly -- observed the classroom management and engagement strategies of the teacher.
Because of this dual approach, we discovered that not only was my child frequently off-task, it was most often during certain types of instruction. And he also observed that the teacher -- who was new, too -- was not himself engaging in best practices wrt instruction and behavior management. My kid, he concluded, was simply not able to sustain sitting still for so long, day after day, when she was bored. He recommended that she switch classrooms. And she did, in March, well into the school year. The change was INCREDIBLE and IMMEDIATE and, as it turns out, sustained for the rest of year. No more complaints about lack of focus or misbehavior. No more crying before school every morning. No more worries about having a name written on the board or turning a behavior card from green to yellow (a practice I abhor, quite honestly). So consider your child, the environment, and the interaction of the two. It may not "just" be your kid. |
Anonymous
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Teacher here again...I am not sure why some parents are adamantly opposed to a Multidisciplinary Team assessment, what are you afraid of? I asked for and received 1 for my child when he was in first grade at a DC Catholic school when his needs were not being met. DCPS provided it as they are legally obliged to do, free of charge. Information is a good thing, what you choose to do with it is another thing.
Kindergarten through 2nd grade are the "Learning to Read" years, beginning in 3rd grade it shifts to Reading to Learn. The research is clear: if children cannot read proficiently by the end of third grade, they face daunting hurdles to success in school and beyond. Third grade marks a pivot point in reading. In fourth grade, students begin encountering a wider variety of texts. By then, able readers have learned to extract and analyze new information and expand their vocabularies by reading (O’Brien, 2008). But struggling readers rarely catch up with their peers academically and are four times more likely to drop out of high school, lowering their earning power as adults and possibly costing society in welfare and other supports (Hernandez, 2011). -from the National School Board Association |
Anonymous
Who does these evaluations? What is the outcome typically for a child who exhibits an active learning style? Are these assessments done by school psychologists? |
Anonymous
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I also think you should consider an evaluation because he is behind in reading. We waited -- big mistake.
For the restlessness issue, maybe a Bumpy cushion or a fidget would help. |
Anonymous
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For those saying "your child doesn't have ADHD," you simply have no basis to determine that, anymore than those saying "your child has ADHD." Assessments are useful because they help identify strengths & weaknesses. Learning that a child has focus issues & slow visual processing is helpful. Anyone who immediately begins pushing medication is not helpful. The next steps are to determine whether physical activity, classroom setting or alterations make a difference. Some parents opt for private school because the increased physical activity, smaller class ratios & hands on learning help. Others seek accommodations in public. Medications may be a tool that families should consider at some point. My spouse was not diagnosed with ADHD until adulthood. It impacted relationships & work opportunities. Medication was like "lifting the fog" and made life easier. No one should force medication too quickly, but avoiding medication for some has consequences, too.
My suggestion would be to look at the situation. If something needs to change and you are unsure what, start with an evaluation to help you pin down the challenges and possible solutions. Always start with the least invasive solutions & continually reassess. I have a child with ADHD. Medication is currently not on the table. We are working with classroom and behavior management strategies, and so far, so good. But we are not in a public school setting right now. We get private OT services. ADHD has become a catch all and is over-diagnosed. That doesn't mean it isn't real or that the symptoms seen aren't real problems that require attention. Our learning system may be creating some of these issues, but ignoring it doesn't solve the problems. |
Anonymous
UGH! NP here - that is terrible. |
Anonymous
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OP - I have not read through all the posts, but the description of your DS on your original post sounds *exactly* like my DS when he was in 2nd grade. When I went to DS's open house for parents, and watched him, his butt never met the chair. It was either his feet, legs, knees whatever. I asked his teacher about it. She said, "he's a boy.. it's normal." He also talked too much and kept getting written up for it.
His reading and math was two grades above; his writing was not. It was terrible. He hates writing. He doesn't have ADHD. He is now in a gifted program and still hates writing by hand. Thankfully, most of their writing is now on a computer, which he likes to do, and he gets top marks on his writing now. His hand writing is like chicken scratch, much like his father. I used to have epic fights with my DS on any writing HW. I regret that now. Let me guess, your DS can't concentrate, except for things that are really interesting to him. That is normal, too. Don't adults have this issue, too? I find it hard to concentrate for any length of time on things that I find boring. No, I don't have ADHD. |
Anonymous
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OP- my son has ADHD. It was second grade when the teachers began to see issues.
ADHD isn't just about hyperactivity-- my son's ADHD affects attention regulation (noticeably) at home and school. He is overly emotional, obsessive, has some difficulty making friends, and is verbally impulsive. His ADHD is supposedly mild/moderate and it's very noticeable in all settings. This isn't to say that your son does or doesn't have ADHD-- it's just my opinion that if the teacher is calling you about behavior problems, you would not be surprised. Calls from the school were our last straw, not our first clue, before we got an evaluation. |
Anonymous
| OP here. Thank you all very much for your feedback. It is all very helpful. I'm going into talk to his teacher on Monday. |
Anonymous
Funny. You can read studies on doodling and how it can help you concentrate on the speaker, yet that would send some SLANT schools in a tizzy. DCs friend was having issues at school -- finally admin got smart and now he can signal up to 3x a day he needs a break. My DC hates chaos in the classroom and is so proud of that his friend has found a way to release his anxiety/wiggles etc and not act out. In that friend's case it has worked like a charm. He no longer punches teachers or kids, can sit longer, etc. it may seem counter intuitive to allow this activity, but a little goes a long way. |
Anonymous
| ^^forgot to say the friend signals for a break and gets to walk around the school with a counselor a couple times around the hallway. |