My son just started Kindergarten the end of August. His behavior problems are seriously coming to light now that he is in a more structured learning environment. He has been in childcare/preschool - but the struction & learning environment to this point has been relatively flexible.
I am at my wits end, I have no idea what to do anymore. Every day my son is on red (his school uses the redlight system where a warning goes to yellow & another reminder takes you to red) I suffer from ADHD and was concerned about my son's behavior - but wasn't sure if I was overreacting, or over analyzing, etc. My doctor said, take this Iowa Conners Teacher's Rating Scale in to his teachers, ask them to fill it out - this will give you a better idea of what's going on & if it's ADD or ADHD related. One teacher scored him a 17 and the other a 19. Most notable is that BOTH teachers scored him at a 2 or 3 for Quarrelsome, Temper Outburst, explosive/unpredictable behavior, Defiant, Uncooperative & Excitable & Impulsive.
I have been speaking with his teachers on a daily basis to try and come up with some alternative solutions, but the more we try the harder he pushes back & becomes even more defiant. When we discuss these choices that he's making, he's apologetic & says, I said I was sorry. We've discussed alternate choices, we've discussed making good choices. He thinks negatively overall, not sure where it comes from, but he automatically assumes negative things. My problem is, impulse or not, a bad choice has a consequence, it's not ok to allow things like 1. direct difiance, throwing toys in school, getting caught taking a quarter from another teachers desk & then crying uncontrollably.
Each day is a challenge, even though the events of our basic day do not change, it's all a struggle. It's a challenge to get him to get himself dressed, to eat his breakfast, to make his bed, to carry his lunchbox. He will randomly do things to others, to annoy them - like on the playground yesterday, playing with a ball. He threw it over the fence so nobody else could play with it. He often plays alone. His teachers have told me that they encourage him to join group activities, but he resists. He's easily annoyed, & when I try to discuss things with him he covers his ears, as if to not listen. Or he'll look away as if to not pay attention.
He's a smart kid, he's actually a lot of fun, he loves sports & is overall very good at most anything he tries...but he's very hard on himself and often says he can't do something, or he doesn't know how (when he does & has done it before)
I shouldn't have to repeat, repeat, repeat 500 times, & it's not ok for him to be so disruptive to his classmates & our family here at home as well. I'm wondering what a professionals thoughts are on this....do you think this is ADHD related? Oppositional Defiance? Or just a regular 5 year old trying to to push the limits?
I appreciate any responses and hope to come to some sort of NEW disciple that WORKS soon! Btw, I'm a single mom, 2 boys. His pediatrician recommended a behavior evaluation, but wants to wait until December to see if this is just an adjustment period.
Cari