Wow, this is so interesting and upsetting. I find the same thing happens to me when I present my OT evaluation findings and try to get people to see that the child isn't being oppostitional or defiant, just responding to poor processing of sensory information. People seem like they would rather believe that a 5 or 6 year old child is being manipulative, stubborn, strong willed, oppositional, defiant, ill-mannered and disobedient. They seem to have a hard time believing that a child is just responding to the world in their own way, based on how they perceive it. Is it a control thing? A power struggle between adults and children? I don't know.
My son was noted in the recent social worker observation report to be "antsy" in his math class. Fidgeting, skipping, running, up and down from his chair, standing instead of sitting, flying like an airplane behind his seat instead of sitting...you get the idea! When I shared this info with a co-worker she commented, "well, he needs to get that under control." What?! He's a 5 y/o who is bored out of his gourd - he's doing what any bored 5 y/o would do!!!! For some reason we are supposed to be teaching our children that being bored is a part of life - get used to it????!!
Glad you keep giving the good fight. Don't let being a "thread stopper" stop you! Keep it up!
