child behavior

[sjhill]

My 5 year old almost 6 years old has trouble focusing in class and I got a call from his teacher because he said his brain was going to fast and he started to hit himself in the head saying I can make it stop I was wondering what could be causing that behavior I get notes home daily saying he had a hard time following directions and staying on task

[Sandman2]

  
One other possibility I would add to your very good list is:
     h)  You have a very smart child, who gets bored.  Whose mind is working faster than he can communicate (because he is only 5).  And, oh ya, its a first year teacher.

[benjimom]

yes, I agree, schools like to label everyone with ADD/ADHD.   and I agree people are quick to label and everyone wants a "quick" fix.  There are many things that look like ADD/ADHD and many reasons why kids act the way they do.  They are not always neat, simple answers.  Kids are not always easy to find the answer to things either.  I would ask why is he hitting himself.  

[jenjen555]

Beware... when the tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.  you posted to an add/adhd forum so of course the suggestion are to "test" for add/adhd.  If you ask the school, who want to believe that every behavioural problem is a diagnosable and treatable - in the hope that all children can be well behaved through the magic pill, and they will steer you that way.   Go to a child psychiatrist who has spent years and $100,000 learning all there is to know about drug therapies, and your child will be prescribed psychoactive medication.  
At 6 that is a very slippery slope.  
1.  there really ISN"T a "test" for add/adhd.  There's not even agreement on what it IS.  They can assess a person/child against a list of symptoms that are collectively named ADD/ADHD - for lack of much better understanding.  When they test for the flu, they can list the symptoms and check them off (temp, ache, cough, etc), but they can also TEST for a virus and yes/no its there.  But in medicine those symptoms alone can mean many things.  Same for attention and hyperactivity.
2. Schools are not in a position to diagnose or 'assess' - they are quick to divert parents towards medication.  with large classes and low resources, they are keen for any quick fix on bevioural issues.

I am concerned at the comment you made that he was hitting himself and saying "i can make it stop".   The critical question is NOT "how can I make this child behave and focus" The question is "what's going on in his head that he is finding so disturbing that he is inflicting violence on himself to try and stop".

You need to start asking your son age appropriate questions to figure out what's going on in his head/mind and what he is finding so difficult and disturbing.   It could be anything from;

a) hearing voices or seeing visions - i'm not saying that your child has early onset schizophrenia, but without knowing what he's trying to beat out of himself - nothing can be ruled out.
b) if the child has been exposed to inappropriate images or experiences - perhaps horror movies, or has witnessed actual abuse or violence of some kind, the child may be having flashbacks or memories that they cannot deal with.  That would distract ANY child from the task at hand.  How well would you do on your math test if you'd just watched a car wreck?!
c) he might be dyslexic, or there's a version of dyslexia that affects hearing - i forget what it's called - but then what the child hears is slightly confused or garbled, and it is hard to understand waht's going on or whats expected.  If the child is having trouble with any of the learning input - reading or hearing - that child won't be focused or well behaved, and will be frustrated and upset.
d) he might have tinnitus - ringing in the ears - if so, it is super annoying and he wouldn't be focused on much else and might think if he hits himself hard enough it will stop.
e) he might be a child with a low tolerence for stress, and in a classroom situation he gets over stimulated and overwhelmed, so can't focus on a task and feels frustrated and upset.
f) if the child has been abused, physically or sexually, and is experiencing post traumatic stress from that, he will not be able to concentrate and might manifest self harm behaviours. (it is estimatd that even 1/10 pre-pubescent boys are sexually abused - so always be watching out for danger signs - adult survivors often discribe being misdiagnosed for their other behaviour problems which were in fact symptoms)
g) perhaps the child is being bullied at school, so is reactign to severe stress in the school environment known only to him and the bully?
g) maybe he is not getting enough sleep or is feeling foggy or disoriented due to low blood sugar from a high sugar diet, or allergies or.. or.. or...


I'm not saying ANY of this is the case.  I'm just saying that you need to start by listening to your child.  What does HE think is going on in his head.  it is way too easy to look at the symptom of "focus", look up ADD online - see some match in symptoms, and not consider the many factors that can cause these behaviours or difficulties.

If after asking and listening carefully to your son you still have trouble understanding what is going on, find a good child PSYCHOLOGIST.  a psychologist is not starting from a pharmacological point of view (unlike a psychiatrist), but nevertheless should be looking out for disorders, and also environmental factors that could be leading to certain behaviours.   A psychologist will also have a good toolkit of behavioural techniques to help address behaviours if the cause is not clear.

I speak as an adult taking ADD medication, and getting benefit from it.  But the rush to label unfocussed children as "ADD" - especially so young - does concern me, when soooo much else could be going on in their little worlds.

Once a child is on meds it is very hard to go the other way - there is barely any real research on the effect of the meds on the growing brain.  It should be  an absolute last resort.  

Just look at the behavioural changes you see in children on Super Nanny, to see how much the outside world affects young childrens behaviour!  Address everything you can in the childs environment before you start tinkering with their minds.

Good luck and report back.

[benjimom]

Yes, I would ask the school if you could do an assessment as well, usually they do one for home and one for school, since the two can vary so much.  

How did he do in preschool?

Does he go full day or halfday kindergarten?  

I think kindergarten and esp the early grades are hard for a lot of boys, they don't have good self control and also they don't have the patience and of course sitting is hard.

[Sandman2]

Yes, he really is quite young.  If I read your post correctly that you will be holding him back next year, that might solve a lot of the problems.  Your Doctor is correct about the standard age for testing.  The school test puzzles me.  That is usually a questionnaire which the parent also fills out.  Not just the child's teacher.  And a brand spanking new first year teacher who does not have the advantage of seeing a range of kids to make her judgements?  I wonder how he would be doing with a more experienced teacher?  You might see if that can be arranged for next year.  You might also want to get the book,  "The ADD/ ADhD Answer book." , by Susan Ashley.   I think it will help answer some of your questions.

[benjimom]

YOu could always go to a counselor and talk to them and see what they think.  Also, you could go to a child psychiatrist and talk to them as well. It's hard esp since you are dealing with an inexperienced teacher.  Also, has the school tested his academics.  I would request if behavior is such an issue that he be placed on an IEP.   He could get extra help.   Holding back is not thought well of in teh schools.  Research supposedly has shown it, but if he is really behind, then.

I think it's good what they do in Sweden and I think I read in Finland, school starts at age 7.  Boys are less mature for sure and the majority of kids having difficulty are boys in the younger grades.  Ask anyone who works in the school.  School is more geared toward girls.