I don't know where to begin!

I don’t know where to start.  My 7 year old son is having a difficult time following instructions, sometimes it seems as he is totally ignoring you. The teacher said that sometime he is in a different world and she has to walk over to his desk to get his attention.  He leaves his home-work at school, and when he does bring it home and complete it. He does not turn it in to the teacher because he claims not to remember.  He is also having problems retaining the material that he learnt in class, however he retains what is seen on TV and things that are said in casual conversations.
He is also having difficulty with reading.  I have read with him and it seems like he is not able to settle himself, he is always scratching or playing with something.  When he reads he sometimes leaves out chunks of words and does not focus on the letter and their sounds he just blurts out what ever comes to his mind. If attention is drawn to a word that has been mispronounced then he is able to break it up and sound it out, but he almost never does this on his own. He is not motivated or excited about learning new things.  He never takes a risk and tries to spell a new word.  He relies on help and works at his best when it is one on one. He is easily distracted and looses concentration very quickly.  He also has some letter reversals and confusion.  He draws his letters and numbers.  If the line is slightly twisted he has to erase and redo them and as a result he is never able to complete a task because of this perfection issue. He has cried out for body pains and sometime is very emotional.  He takes hours to eat a plate of food and refuses to sleep in the bed by himself.
I have discussed these issues with his pediatrician and she does not think there is a problem.  However the classroom teacher thinks that there are underlying issues.  I am not sure what to do!  Please advice.

[Myrna Libby, Ph.D., BCBA]

You need to find a different pediatrician; I would request an evaluation by a pediatric neurologist or a developmental pediatrician who has experience with a variety of developmental disorders and issues.  The behaviors you describe should not be dismissed as nothing to worry about or typical and there may be resources available to you to provide your child with help.

[piggrl]

My daugher is 9 1/2 andyou nearly described her to a t.  She is PDD/NOS a strain of autism. Youshould have your child tested for strains of autism. My daughter is on Daytrana, an ADHD medicine which helps her to concentrate and she is undergoing OT Therapy which has been a big help.  She went from problem student to role model.  The teacher workswith us and she has an agenda book that all her homework is written down in as well as her behavior for the day. I am required to sign it daily, so she cannot get away with anything or "forget."   Kids with aspergers and austism spectrum disorders are not properly diagnosed regularly...or misdiagnosed as ADHD quite often.  Good Luck...this is a hard road and a battle I have been fighting for quite a while...but to get on the right track is worth it...in the long run...many autism spectrum children...like my daughter...are quite brillant.

[SheilaRShackelford]

I am a respite provider and I have been trained to deal with children’s behaviors, but I do have a 11 yr old that is Aspersers, ADHD, and every time it is time to go to bed he as really bad behaviors, from screaming, yelling, cursing, destroying my home, to trying to run, you name it. I have to restrain him sometimes and he is as string as a 25 yr old man. I know I have to get more training in order to continue keeping him so that his parents can breath, He knows what he is doing, he will tell you that he is doing this because he is not getting his way. I have decided that in the morning times while he is at my home he has to had consequences for his behaviors. Is there any suggesting to what else I can do??????????????

[SheilaRShackelford]

I am a respite provider and I have been trained to deal with children’s behaviors, but I do have a 11 yr old that is Aspersers, ADHD, and every time it is time to go to bed he as really bad behaviors, from screaming, yelling, cursing, destroying my home, to trying to run, you name it. I have to restrain him sometimes and he is as string as a 25 yr old man. I know I have to get more training in order to continue keeping him so that his parents can breath, He knows what he is doing, he will tell you that he is doing this because he is not getting his way. I have decided that in the morning times while he is at my home he has to had consequences for his behaviors. Is there any suggesting to what else I can do??????????????

[justlovehim]

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