Acting out at school

[Kiupo]

my child is 8 years old and diagnosed with Adhd, anxiety and dyslexia. Every single time he takes a test and does not get to finish he goes insane in classroom. He does have his extended time but still does not finish because he either arrives late because he is unable to get inside the class and therefore the class has already started the test. What ways can I try to get this behavior to stop in school. Many timeas at home he feels like he cannot do his homework by himself and needs constant reassurance to see if he is doing it correctly. We have not medicated him as of yet but it has been advised to do so. Does anyone have any feedback in order to help him succeed?

[Aspen797]

Does your child have an IEP or 504? I ask this first, because what you are describing is an issue that needs to be addressed by the school, not you, in my opinion. If he has an IEP or 504, it sounds as though something may need tweaking. Perhaps he needs small group assessment, a shortened assessment, alternative assessment (verbal/scribe, for example) until he has been taught and can demonstrate the reading skills (individual instruction) and emotional regulation (occupational therapy/counseling) skills he needs to handle this challenging situation. All kids do well if they can. If they can’t, it’s because they lack the skills, supports, or accommodations they need. If you haven’t already, consider reaching out to your state’s parent resource center. Each state has one and they offer information, advocacy and referral for parents of kids with unique needs. Find yours here: parentcenterhub.org/find-yo.... Hugs! It’s so hard when they little.

[WYMom]

Medicate. Makes a huge difference.

[Willowbee37]

my husband had add, anxiety and dyslexia. He had explained school to me as a battlefield for him. He said he was basically lost all day so he would act out or be excessively silly to get the attention off the fact that he didnt complete his work or was completely off on some answers. He felt “picked on” by the teacher about everything and was very embarrassed.

Keeping that in mind, for me, it gives me a better look into his world. He NEEDED adhd meds and eventually needed anxiety meds as well. He went to weekly therapy which gave him better coping skills and eventually got off the anxiety medication. My husband has been extremely successful in work since school, but that man will avoid addition certifications cause he cannot bring himself to take a test or go back to school.

Gold standard treatment for adhd is medication. I would start there. It can be a process finding what works but it’s worth it. Get him into weekly therapy and if that’s not enough he may need medication for the anxiety as well but I would cross one bridge at a time. I would also get him into the school counselor as well. Make sure his energy is being drained after school. A simple short weight routine from YouTube helps even, an indoor trampoline that you time him for a minute to see how many jumps he can get in.

Hang in there, this stuff is probably as difficult on us as it is them.

[Alt49]

my son was a mess at school until we started meds.

[Fish1fish]

does your child have a therapist? Might be good getting a 3rd party for him to talk to about what he is feeling.

[sunset_sunrise_lover]

Like others have said, this sounds like something the school needs to do in terms of providing adequate extensions and support for him. My son was struggling terribly. He has ADHD and OCD so he would obsess over the slightest thing like a hanging cuticle but once he's on meds, he is so calm and gets his work done. I am blown away by how much change in his academics I have seen over the past few months that he has been on medication. Sending you love and light!

[Meddyteddy in reply to sunset_sunrise_lover]

What medications helped ?

[Mamamichl]

make a plan with him on if it happens again. Ask him what he thinks happens when he doesn’t finish it (do you fail the whole test, get judged, etc)?