Methods to help squelch calling out in class

[Anonymous]

My 8-year old has a major problem with calling out and interrupting in class. I'm pretty sure she has ADHD, but we've never had her formally assessed. (I have another child with ADHD who is diagnosed and on medications, so it's not that I'm against that, but for the 8-year old, her problems have not been that big of a problem and she has other medical issues that make me reluctant to put her on stimulants.) Her teacher is very helpful and would likely be willing to do accommodations w/o a formal diagnosis. Has anyone come up with good things, other than medication, to help a child stop calling out in class? She is fairly advanced, and often knows the answer before her classmates, but clearly yelling out the answer before others have had a chance is not appropriate classroom behavior and is probably not making her any friends. Advice is appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Some teachers use an "answer ball" - where you don't give the answer unless you are holding the answer ball. This can help impulsive kids as it give them a tactile expectation, and slowly develops an expectation pause before answering. It won't change her habit over night, but if the teacher uses it, you can try it at home too. "Catch the ball/bean bag then answer." It would be important for the teacher to let her have the ball often enough to develop the expectation too -- if she never gets to answer, she will stop waiting for the ball, etc. It also help reinforce "sharing' in conversation. Many kids understand sharing objects, but not talking/attention/less tactile kinds of sharing. The ball pairs these two concepts. We share the ball, like we share the opportunity to give the answer.

[Anonymous]

My son had a clipboard with everyone's name in the class and his job was to check off the name of the student the teacher called on.

[Anonymous]

At what age do kids start taking notes in class? When I was a student, I dealt with this by just taking copious notes of what was going on in the classroom.

[Anonymous]

Lots of teachers do a thing where your child would be given four cards -- or balls or stickers -- or whatever, and that's the number of times she should participate during a given session. It's hard for these guys when they do know the answer, but it's a way to make sure they don't always dominate the class.

[Anonymous]

Can she practice saying it in her head? writing it down and putting a checkmark if she's right? using her finger to spell the answer on her desk? counting 5 kids who have to answer before she raises her hand again? play games at home where yelling out the answer will hurt her team (like pictionary, trivial pursuit, etc.)?

It is hard. It was hard for me, and frankly still is, to figure out the right amount to participate in a class or meeting setting. Pretty much the only negative evaluation I've ever gotten at work was that I interrupted and while I'm trying to curb that it is just hard. I like facts, I often know the answer before others, and I can get frustrated at slow-paced conversations.

These are great skills to have for trivia night, but sometimes I have to tolerate a little frustration for the sake of a group functioning well and so my friends and colleagues like me. Do you think your daughter would be able to understand an explanation like that?

[Anonymous]

Well, I'd start with getting a neuropsych evaluation. You should know what at the minimum what you're dealing with. There are also behavior management techniques that don't require medication:
http://www.ldonline.org/article/5925

You may want to read the Kazdin Method.

Hand fidgets like a squeeze ball my help her manage her enthusiasm/energy and is unobtrusive.

I'd also consider a social skills group for her if she's having difficulty with peer relationships.

[Anonymous]

Having paid a ton of money for the neuropsych eval for my other kid, I just don't see the benefit in getting her assessed. I know exactly what her problems are, and what her strengths are. I know everyone always says "get the neuropsych" but, having done it, I don't see the benefit -- except that I walked into the school with super-high IQ test results and all the administrators said "oooh....". It didn't tell me one thing I didn't already know about my kid.

But I am really appreciating all these concrete suggestions. I've asked her before about a fidget ball, and stressed that there's a time for jumping in with an answer (like on Jeopardy) and at time to wait and see what others have to say...I think she gets that, but just can't live it.

I like the idea of the stickers. She's very good about budgeting her money on things, so if she had a "budget" of times she could say something, that might work.

[Anonymous]

Keep notepad on desk, record thoughts. Put colored card on desk if she wants to share immediately, another color if she wants to share, but it can wait.

[Anonymous]

I recently toured a school and saw that they had the teacher hold a sign. On one side it said open for comments (green) the other said closed for comments (red). It was amazing the way she had the class paying attention and avoiding the typical outbursts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Having paid a ton of money for the neuropsych eval for my other kid, I just don't see the benefit in getting her assessed. I know exactly what her problems are, and what her strengths are. I know everyone always says "get the neuropsych" but, having done it, I don't see the benefit -- except that I walked into the school with super-high IQ test results and all the administrators said "oooh....". It didn't tell me one thing I didn't already know about my kid.

But I am really appreciating all these concrete suggestions. I've asked her before about a fidget ball, and stressed that there's a time for jumping in with an answer (like on Jeopardy) and at time to wait and see what others have to say...I think she gets that, but just can't live it.

I like the idea of the stickers. She's very good about budgeting her money on things, so if she had a "budget" of times she could say something, that might work.

IMHO I think you need to have your kid tested. You aren't a testing professional. We were surprised when we got DC's Asperger's diagnosis but as he has grown up it is now quite apparent and I wish we had gotten him intervention earlier. Even as an adult he has sudden comments that are just plain weird. Like Tourette's, although he doesn't have tourette's, but the statements still are awkward, sometimes not p.c. (which we have to correct even though he is an adult because it will get him in trouble in college), and he had impulse control issues when he was your kid's age. We used tactile toys. I now wish we had done more intervention and had done speech training 'way back. Too late now.

[Anonymous]

Whether you get your child tested or not, the strategies for helping learn to not call out and raise her hand and wait for her turn etc. are going to be the same. Behavioral strategies like the ones listed above. Having a label for this won't make any difference and there is no outside intervention for this aside from practicing these skills at home or with a therapist. Whatever method the teacher adopts I do recommend you practice it with your daughter at home OP. You can use stuffed animals and siblings to make a pretend classroom. Make it fun.

[Anonymous]

I think there are a lot of good ideas here. I'd ask your daughter which one she wants to try and talk to her teacher about testing it out.