I don't think I explained my child's "trouble with transitions" well enough. It's not an emotional thing at all. She'll be absorbed in her work like all the other kids, and the teacher with call for her group to come up, or for the kids to get in line for the next class. She often doesn't hear the call because she's too intently focused and not aware of her surroundings. Then when she notices everyone around her moving, her brain needs a few seconds to switch gears and figure out what she needs for the next class. Other kids just get up, grab their stuff, and go the second they are called. So my child is often the last in line. If she's rushed by the teacher, she either forgets something or just takes EVERYTHING.
By contrast, she is NEVER late or unprepared for school. Her natural tendency is to be well organized and get ready early so she can take her time. She is on the couch fully ready and watching cartoons at 7:15 every morning, waiting for me to tell her it's time to go. She wants to get to school as soon as the doors open so she has time to organize her stuff, turn in anything that needs turned in, and relax and talk to friends before school starts.
After school, she's given up on trying to bring the right things home in the rush to get out the door with the teacher reprimanding her if she has to run back into the classroom. As a single child, she's in the first group to leave and is always rushed. So she just started taking everything home.
If she does have an attention disorder, it seems she's already doing everything psychologists recommend to manage it, like she knows what she needs to do to function and has developed a plan herself.
Layman's reading of what you wrote: this kid has figured out that she can't trust herself on organizational matters, and is perpetually anxious that she's going to make a mistake. If this is true, I think she's brilliant to have seen her own weak point at this tender age.
However, I'd wonder if there is anything that can be done to ease the anxiety, because anxiety is real suffering. Planner, checklists, that sort of thing can help a person be less anxious. Bringing everything home is a strategy that will eventually not work, so she'll need a strategy that stays functional.
I'm not sure whether anything can be done to teach her to redirect her attention more speedily. Surely there's something (pretty much all skills can be taught).
In any case, I wouldn't ignore what the teacher is telling you. Teachers don't tell people about their kids' quirks for fun-- they do it when they see a substantial problem. I'd investigate.
DeeDee
