Separated from class

[Boymom3]

My 1st grader has ended up separated from the rest of the class bc of his distracting behavior every class he’s been in since daycare. He started medication a year ago and he’s made a lot of improvement. However, this year he is talking to himself, thinking out loud basically. Murmuring and mumbling all day. We can’t figure out how to get him to be quiet, so his teacher just told me she’s moved a desk in to class that will be separated from the other kids to be his PERMANENT seat. I feel her pain and frustration with him. He does this at home too, but I don’t think isolating him permanently is good for him. I have requested a meeting for an IEP but I really don’t know what services to ask for or insist on. He is doing very well academically. Anyone have experience?

[Hidden]

Both of my kids have had separate desks in their classes. They were less distracting to other students and were given extra freedom to wiggle, fidget and chatter at this spot. It is a decent compromise that keeps the kid in the classroom.

My oldest now sits a table with her peers but has access to her own space if she needs it. Son is in 2nd and prefers his own space for working. He says it helps him focus better because he isn’t distracted by his peers as much.

[Boymom3 in reply to Hidden]

I thought about that part of it. I still think I need to meet with teacher to see if this is benefiting him or not. Did your kids have trouble making friends?

[Hidden in reply to Boymom3]

The 2nd grader is struggling a bit but his behavior isn’t managed yet. The fourth grader clicked right in by third grade. The making friends part came with behavioral management. The other kids didn’t care she had her own desk. They just knew it was what she needed.

The 2nd grader is not having issues because he has his own desk. Once again the kids know he needs space so they just go with it. He has buddies but none are cemented friendships yet (don’t really expect that in 2nd anyway)

[Onthemove1971]

You could ask for a speech "consult", if it is a good speech therapist they could answer questions about his mumbling to himself.

Your other choice is the school psychologist. Both would be great, the school psychologist could also give you feedback on the seating. I am not sure about the seating separation. If you need to change his seat the psychologist could give you the "meat" to move him.

Just my thoughts, I would not leave these issues becuase they both impact his ability to socialize and interact with other kids.

Hope this helps..

[RedZone]

Hi there: I had a lot of problems at school with my daughter as well. She was very confrontational with teachers and the teachers were very quick in labeling her as a troublemaker. They treated her like a waste of time and it made things worse for her. After receiving her diagnosis I was able to understand why she behaved the way she did in school. My daughter at this point gave up in school and I gave up in teachers. Most of these teachers are not prepared to work with kids like ours and they make things worse. We decided that the best thing for her was to withdraw her from school and she will take her GED. Have you ever thought about homeschooling for your child? It is an alternative. Also, the Dr. who gave me the diagnosis was going to give me a report with accommodations for my daughter at school. By law the school needs to meet those accommodations.

[RedZone]

Ask your child’s Dr to provide you with a report of his medical condition and accommodations required for your child. By law the school needs to meet those accommodations.

[Boymom3 in reply to RedZone]

Thank you, I will do that. I’m hoping taking this IEP route will help bc I don’t see how homeschooling could be an option for us. We are in one of the best school districts in the area, but I agree, most people, including myself, just don’t know what to do.

[RichSeitzOceanNJ]

Research the Pax Good Behavior Game and advocate for your teacher to learn it and for the school to adopt it school wide. Greatest thing there is for teachers, kids, and parents! Clinically tested and proven to help ADHD and a whole lot more. Short list:

NIDA Notes. “Behavior Game Played in Primary Grades Reduces Later Drug-Related Problems.” Volume 23, Number 1, April 2010. National Institute on Drug Abuse.

drugabuse.gov/news-events/n...

NIDA Notes. “Good Behavior Game Wins 2012 Mentor International Best Practice Award.” November 2012. National Institute on Drug Abuse.

drugabuse.gov/news-events/n...

Bates, Mary. “Calm Down Boys, Adolescent Girls have ADHD, too.” Psychology Today, June 2012. psychologytoday.com/article...

To learn more about the science of PAX GBG, go to the National Library of Medicine to read the research. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ter...

You can also watch a video of interviews of teachers and students to learn more. bit.ly/What-Is-PAX-Video-Intro

goodbehaviorgame.org

Good luck and keep smiling all you can. Love not anger.