Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion One of these kids is not like the other- Updated

here are the interventions for behavior issues...and this is coming from Butter (DD8), Mrs W (the teacher) and SP (the school psych)...

"Here is a list of some class interventions:

-Butter will be allowed to have free reading time (drawing and computer time are options but she appears to prefer reading) after finishing assignments. A timer is set for assignments and upon finishing, Butter can use the remaining time for reading (we do not think this will interfere with the quality of her work but will monitor this). Geronimo-Stilton (in class) and Harry Potter (not in class...can we get some from library?) seem to be the highest incentives for her, although today she did well w/free reading time with other books.

-She indicated she would like a privacy board for her desk and was given one today but did not want to use it. We will continue to offer this as an option.

-She will need to make up unfinished work at recess.

-She will be given the option of a separate work space.

-She will be given choices whenever possible to avoid power struggles and to engage her in the work.

-If a topic comes up in class about which Butter feels strongly, she can make a note to herself in her journal and this can be discussed later so that she feels she is heard and is able to express herself while not interfering with instructional time.

-The Occupational Therapist (OT) is also going to observe her and will consider the option of hanging something on the back of her pencil (gum was considered but may be problematic) which is safe to chew on (as she currently chews on her pencil erasers and spits them out throughout the day).

-Butter mentioned that she would use earplugs or headphones to keep her focused but we are not sure about these options and would first like to offer the privacy board and/or separate work space.

-The red/green cloth will now be a red or yellow or green paper which is divided into AM and PM sections and sent home. This will give a more accurate reflection of Butter's performance over the course of the day. Please feel free to consider/discuss the option of a weekly reward at home as we talked about yesterday.

Please provide any feedback or suggestions you feel will be helpful, as well as what works at home. This is a work in progress and can be modified as necessary."

I think what I most appreciate is the overall tone that is helpful! FINALLY someone is NOT saying my kid is depressed or anxious or that I need to straighten her out! Even this is more that what I've gotten in the past, especially the multipart behavior report...The pencil thing made me laugh, I've never noticed that...and who was talking about Geronimo Stilton on the reading lists threads? That's new here, lol!

I appreciate your thoughts on the other interventions. We still have a long way to go and of course, will see if these things actually work, but if we can get her on track doing the work at all, that will be an improvement in itself!

ok today was follow up with ped.

Ped wants to say ADHD, but since all the problems are only at school, technically she cannot. Then she offered us medications, which stunned and saddened me. She knew I wasn't going to like that because she did say she could refer us to a psych in the group that works with kids with LDs. Of course I said yes. I'm very upset about the whole thing...I would like a full assessment of my child and consideration of her ABILITIES made before I sign her up for a lifetime of medication, right?

She did point out that if it is ADHD and we don't address it, Butter will never be able to live up to that potential.

I guess I'm not convinced and I'm not willing to just make my kid a guinea pig. It's not like they just do a blood test for neurotransmitters...

On the UPSIDE, DD8 got that seperate desk that faces front that we have BOTH been wanting for a long time. Her current teacher will be staying at the school this year. We have an SST next week too, after the psych from Hoagie's

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Does your DD do her homework independently, correctly, without significant prompting from you?


There is no "lifetime of meds" unless you and DD choose it. Most ADHD meds wear off in a few hours, the long-acting ones in a day, completely out of the system in a few days. If you tried this and you weren't satisfied it was helping, you could try a different kind of medication (there are several that work differently)-- or you could give up at that point, and your DD would be as she is now.

I won't lie, the trial-and-error process at the beginning is not that much fun-- it can be hard to find the right med and dosage. We found it worth the investment. Your mileage may vary.


We found that DS now 9 was starting to have profound self-esteem issues about his inability to do what school wanted, and his inability to act just like all the other kids. After he started meds this improved tremendously: he is more able to do what he wants to, and he feels better about his own capabilities. For us, this is a great improvement, even aside from the improvement in his work.


I don't think I made mine a guinea pig by trying meds. I talked to a specialist professional for hours first, finding out about what has been studied most in peer-reviewed trials, and asked her hundreds of questions. I would not have had the regular pediatrician prescribe/choose meds, but I felt I took proper precautions. It is possible to do this responsibly.

DeeDee

I think I'm also a little mad at the school for not seeing it sooner. The K teacher said it would be fine and she would outgrow, but 1st and 2nd were always complaining about her behavior. Even now, they have implemented a behavior plan, but if it's ADHD, it might not be possible for her to meet those goals without medication, right? It wasn't the school saying we should get her tested, it's me trying to rule things out that have brought us to this point.

And of course, part of me hopes it is like that. That there might be a medicine that could help us immensely. And is ADHD a qualifier for an IEP? I'm not against that, I DO think Butter needs individualized attention...but I'm also worried about if people (adults actually) will treat her differently if they know...and what if the medication works and it turns out she's even more gifted (she scored at the top cutoff between our District's gifted/pg) and the school still can't meet her needs?

There's just so many factors and I'm still confused and unsure...

If your child does have ADHD, it is a lifetime deal - but that doesn't mean it has to be a lifetime of meds. If and when and how to medicate is a choice and a decision that people make taking any number of individual circumstances into account. And if your child does have ADHD, that fact won't be changed by whether you acknowledge it or not, or choose to medicate or not.

aculady-not a lifetime of meds? The ped makes it sound like that is "THE" choice. Are you saying she might be able to go off them later? I obviously have a lot of research to do because nobody has suggested this before.

And I agree, if you have a problem, it is there. You can't ignore it away. I just feel in the past a lot of kids get thrown into the ADD/ADHD category because they are different and people don't know what to do with them. I just want to be sure that's what it is before I turn to drugs...but that's still bothering me because so many people are saying the opposite, that it's really the meds that help the most.

I think you need to do step 1 first, which would be to find a specialist, preferably a younger one. You need to find the person who's closest to the best and most recent research.

I think the diagnostic aspect is the most important.

Since a lot of medicine is like a naturalistic science experiment, you need to be patient and just see how things work out. Also, you probably want to take notes in a journal so that you can track things.