5 Yr Old Needs Focus

S.;
I wrote a response and then erased it because this has happened with my son and I can ramble.
The school has him believing that he is ADHD. He thinks he is "less than" what he should be. He has a high IQ, takes no prescribed meds, and is doing quite well.
I monitor his eating habits, eat organic, give fish oil, and take proven supplements to help with "focus" and "attention".
Pycnogenol is one of the ingredients that pass the blood brain barrier and has helped many children with asthma issues to.
Keep him on a good schedule, make a chart of "his things" to do and put them in order so he can follow it. I have found that If I have my son repeat to me what I just said, that seems to help.
I have no regrets. My son talks and talks but that is what makes him so special. He has much to say, and who knows, maybe someday he will be a writer, or a tv broadcaster...?

My son is 12 years old and had the same problems as a young child. There are lots of behavior modifications for boys with focusing problems. There are also lots of video games that help with consentration. My son was recently diagnosed with ADHD, which I always knew. He is so bright and can handle lots of activities without becoming exhausted. I was told that karate is a great tool for child with focusing problems. My son plays ice hockey and that has made all of the difference. In the last year he has grown up to become a fantastic listener and very attentive in school. He always particates in the discussions. You might also want to give him lots of hands on learning. Project based activties work best. Good luck

S.,
Have you ever considered homeschooling him? He sounds a lot like my daughter. She too is very smart, (scored 99% on standardized tests - not that that is necessarily an indication of much of anything!!), but the regiment of school and the need for conformity began to produce a very unhappy experience for her and her classmates. We pulled her out beginning with 2nd grade. She is now 22, very social, in a career in which she is excelling, doing what she loves.

By the way her first grade teacher saw her potential and even though she was a 20 year veteran, she recommended homeschooling, if I had it in me to do. I did. And loved it.

Hi S.,
5 year olds are very excited when entering the learning world. They've learned there is so much out there then what there is out home. As far as your son not paying attention, you have trained him to not respond to you the first or second time and seems to have no consequenses for not lisening. My advise is to start at home. If you tell him to put his shoes on once and he is not; then come up with a punishment for not listening. For example, "I'm going to tell you only one more time to put your shoes on, if you don't then you will not be able to watch your favorite show later." Make sure you stick to what you say. Don't say it if you can't follow through with his punishment. It will take some time, but eventually he will learn to do as he is told or he will not be able to do his "favorite thing" later.
Good luck.

I think the best thing you can do for your son is get down on his level, look him in the eyes when you are giving him a comand(put on your shoes)....I have a son who is very easily distracted...it goes in fazes...but he does much better with eye contact. The other most important thing you can do is meet with the prinsipal of the school he will be attending in the fall and address your concerns and request a teacher who is more strict and will keep him on task...I have had great sucess with this and I have found that when I make aware my childs needs up front they are better addressed, besides if you let them know what your concerns are they will keep an eye out and if there is something more serious it will be addressed.

Hi S., I am a mom of four. One thing is you need to speak to him once. After not listening, put him in a time out for not listening. You are training him not to respond when you speak. Don't count, you are giving him all the control. Boys especially need boundaries, this makes them feel safe and loved. Make sure he has active times once he comes home from school, get him outside to run and play. Hope this helps and good luck!!!

Hey S.! I have a suggestion and that is.... watch his sugar intake. We as a country are eating soooo much sugar and processed food it is unbelievable. It may be challenging, but you will be surprised at how your son may respond with less sugar in his diet. Go for more natural sugars like in fruits. Give him lots of veggies. If he is not a veggie eater I would suggest the Jessica Seinfeld cookbook. It is wonderful. She has many secrets to hiding veggies in your child's diet and they don't even know it is in there. Alot of people don't realize what a drug sugar really is. Soda, juices pratically EVERYTHING! I don't know if your son is a soda drinker, but soda is HORRIBLE. Start off with cutting just a few things out at a time and see if you start to see little changes and that will keep you motivated on making even more changes. One more suggestion is to NOT replace sugar with artificial sweeteners this is really bad and so unnatural to our bodies. I wish you the best.

S.,

Hi. I never have answered a message board in my life and received this from an automated email. Anyway I was meant to read it and moved to help you. You could have been talking about my son. My son is 5 years/7 months and also does not have ADD, is the class clown, can't stop talking and won't listen. At home he is a different boy and is capable of great focus when he wants to.

This is the hardest thing to go through and it is challenging. Is your son very sensitive and bright? A lot has to do with energy in the body and treating there diet very strictly. I give Will whole grains, fruit instead of sugar [I wish I could say veggies but he doesn't eat as much as I would like], I make him a smoothie with milk, fruit, a little agave [like honey made from a plant that does not spike blood sugar] and 2 tablespoons flax seed oil [this regulates metabolism, blood sugar and is a natural cure for ADD] and some ice and blend. Also same bed time each night -when they are tired it is worse. I am sure you know all of this and more. Mainly I just want to say it is challenging. One thing I was doing out of habit was repeating 'you don't listen, you just don't listen' - when I was frustrated and this was so wrong. I later learned that kids don't separate behavior from themselves so once they 'think' they don't listen it gets worse. Now I calmly say "this is not 5 year old behavior and I know how smart and focused you can be please give it your best'. It doesn't always work. I think this is a stage for them and honestly think they are bored. They are smart and they know when they are bored. One thing my son does now is actually say, while I'm speaking 'I'm not listening to you right now'. LOVELY! I also think it is a way for them to have some control. Hang in there it will get easier and I'm sure your son is creative and sweet and that the sweet moments are very sweet. Best, S.
Sorry so long...

Hi S.,
Sounds like you have your hands full :) Here's a quick, non-scientific test to determine ADD/ADHD: put your child in front of the tv for 20 minutes. IF he can watch the entire time without moving, he's probably fine. If he fidgets and keeps trying to do other things throughout, then you may want to do further testing. You say he can listen to stories, etc at home so I am guessing this may not be a problem. I want you to check out this link too: http://www.oxfordlearning.com/add/ It has an article that you can download that can help explain ADD, it's symptoms, and solutions.

Paying attention IS a learned behavior and so you should work on that at home. This takes action by both you and your son. For example - you say you ask him to put his shoes on 20 times (been there) but what are YOU doing when you ask him? Are you paying attention to him or are you trying to do a million other things at the same time (I know it is hard not to do a million other things - you are a mom afterall). I find myself that when I am focused on my kids, that helps (and it is good modeling).

We live in a fast paced environment - everything happens quickly and there is so much information out there it is hard for children to focus on the important things and weed out all the distractions (cell phone, tv, video games, etc). I am not a believer in meds for all since there are so many things that can be done to help (diet, structure, sleep, etc). If you are to do testing, you may want to consider seeing a Cognitive Therapist. They work to improve the behavior without meds and there are many who specialize in ADD nowadays.

One other common theme that I will reiterate is about boredom. If you know your son is capable of doing the work at school, you should consider enrichment activities for him to ensure he stays challenged. Often children get bored and lose focus. A different environment may help with this - home school, Montessori, learning centers, etc.

Best of luck to you!

From my experience with my own all different personalities and there are three of them. I find that all schools are not for all children. Perhaps he would fare better in a Montessori kind of environment. Especially if it is a parochial school type environment they seem to be more rigid in their espectations and of what is appropriate behavior. If you are encouraging appropriate behavior at home (such as turn taking and not iterrupting) you might best consider a montessori or homeschool environment so his creativity will not be oppressed. School is for social experience not for learning at that age.

S.,

I have a 4 yr old boy in preschool too, and he was having some attention issues as well. He gets so excitied to be there he forgets he needs to do his work not play. My son only goes to school 2 days a week and If yours goes only part time as well then the issue may be consistance. I have tried a few things that have worked,

1- I started a warning chart and a good deed chart. There are columns on the warning chart for every rule with 3 spots for "Nasty Faces" by each rule. I give him a "nasty Face" (A grimising smiley face holding a thumbs down) everytime I have to warn him about the rules. If he gets three nasty faces on the whole chart I take away a star from his good deed chart (this chart is for every good thing he does, listens well, cleans up, shares with his brother, follows a difficult rule ect. he gets a star and for every star he earns money toward shopping with Daddy.) This upsets him alot. If he gets 3 "nasty Faces" for the same rule he gets a time out and losses a star.

2. I have requested from his teacher a time-line of what the do in school. On days that he does not have school I follow the timeline of school with him and his younger brother like they are in school. I have printed activities that appropriate off the internet and I try to stay with in what they are working on in school to reinforce what was just done. He is the youngest in his class but always one of the first to acomplish a milstone ( Knowing his address, name, phone number, etc.)

I hope this is helpful.

This consistancy and visualization of his behavior has straightened him out. Yes it is alot of work but it works.

Look into possibly a gluten-free or dairy-free diet. The only way you'll know is if you try for 3 months and then reintroduce gluten and dairy little by little and see what the effects are. I did this with my ADHD son and it really helped. I know many others whom were helped by this as well. The state of New Jersey just recently implemented this method as well through their early intervention program. Good luck.

is your son bored i have a daughter who is 29 with two kids herself. she was like that she interupted the class they tried to say she had add but i knew better she was 98 percent in the top as a one on one. she was bored have him tested he maybe one of those kids that are just bored and need to be challenged with more work. try this , let me know as i was a teachers aide. my e-mail is ____@____.com the best.linda

I would have him evaluated by the school system and see if he might have a processing issue or other type of delay. My son did and he was very similar to what you describe. Call your school and start the process so that if there is an issue, you can start receiving services before the school year starts in September. Good luck!

I would love to hear some responses to this question. I ahve a 7 year old in 2nd grade and I still have the same issues.....

I think your son has learned that he doesn't really have to listen to you when you have to ask him about 20 times to put on his shoes and that he is in control and will do it when he wants. Sounds like using 1,2,3 for the "big behaviors," as you say, is really working, but have you thought of using it for small ones? And what about providing consequences to follow up on when something is not done/carried out in a timely manner? For example, when he does not put on his shoes after 1,2,3, then he cannot go out. In a hurry? If he does not, then mommy will have to put his shoes on him for him. Your son probably likes to do everything by himself and will not like this. By giving him the choice and providing a consequence, he will still feel like he has some control. Follow-through is key. Setting boundaries. You can start with this "1,2,3... magic", then start fading it away. It's all about positive and negative consequences (not to be confused with threats). In a while, he will learn to follow directions the first time/in timely manner. And it is equally important to compliment for the good things. Catch him in the act - catch him doing the right thing and praise him. Let's say you'll be going out soon, then 5 minutes later, you find him with shoes and coat on, ready to go... without being asked! Awesome! Show him how happy you are!! With the 1,2,3... magic goes other reinforcement strategies... stickers, extra cookie after dinner, etc. I've used these strategies and more for many years with regular/typical children (and my husband, on occassion!) as well as with kids with special needs. It's easier said then done, but when you find what works, it is magic. Good luck, I hope this helps in any way.

I also have a 5 yr old boy with similar behavior. I am planning to enroll him in some sort of martial arts class to teach him more discipline (and of course for the self defense skills too). I also get so frustrated when I have to repeat myself so many times, but I also feel it's common behavior for a boy that age. I find looking him straight in his eyes helps him focus on what I'm saying.

I feel it's very important to have respect for my son and who he is, and teach him how to respect others, while trying not to be so controlling of his behavior or having high expectations. Sometimes I'm just not in the mood for his hyper personality, but I am grateful that he's not afraid of expressing himself. He is bright kid and likes to share ALL his thoughts with me.

I personally don't worry about trying to diagnose ADD. I can remember that when I was his age I also had attention problems and was put in remedial classes in first grade. But I ended up graduating high school at the top of my class. Some kids just develop focus later than others.

I think boys in general learn in a different manner and are generally very active. My son was a little bit like that when he was 2 1/2. We have cut sugar out of his diet. Generally fruit juices provide a lot of sugar (one glass of apple juice is the equivalent of 4 apples). They generally get less hyper if they are not sugared up. We also found out that he had food allergies and was restless. He is allergic to wheat, eggs, soy, and eggs. One other thing - some teachers tend to misdiagnose ADHD. ADHD would only be diagnosed through many observations. Don't let them medicate your child unless it is an accurate diagnosis. They also found that ADHD kids are sensitive to gluten and casein (wheat and milk), Gluten is also found in barley, rye, and oats. Just watch him, the ADHD and bright kids have similar symptons - talk a lot, fidgety, etc. Boys also do not focus as well as girls. They scribble drawings whereas girls at the same age draw meticulously. He may just be normal, just watch his behaviors. Good luck.

Hi S. -

That sounds just like my son. He is now 13 and has "ADHD". We dont do any traditional medications, we use an all natural regiment that has helped his hyperness and focus. He is very smart and it was always frustrating to see poor grades. His grades and focus has improved so much, we occassionaly have a problem if we forget his vitamins, but overall so much less stress. when he was 4 he could read a book back to you, copy any action, focus on a tv program with tunnel vision and not hear you.

The book "The Way They Learn" by Cynthia Tobias is fantastic. Its put out by Families First and shows you the personality of your child, how they learn etc. This was a real validation of all that I knew my son was like and showed me his personality and how to help him learn to his needs.

Talk w/ your son's pediatrician also, they can do simple testing to see if he is ADD or some other problem exists. We dont really believe in ADD, but when your called every other day by the principal (literly 2nd day of school and 3x's the 1st wk), it is nice to have the flexibilty and alternative class structure to help him work through the issues on his focus.

Best of Luck - if your interested in talking on how we overcome the focus and hyper issues, give me an email :0)

Hi, S.!

I was a teacher for 12 years, mostly working with children with special needs. Your son does sound like a 5 year old who is bored with the activities and is very social and would rather interact with his friends than do yet another sit-down cut and paste activity. Many pre-school teachers, although well-meaning, feel that they need to get children ready for kindergarten and end up having developmentally inappropriate expectations for our little ones or having the same expectaions for all children without seeing each child as an individual with different temperments, needs and interests. It sounds like your son is capable of focusing as long as it is something he enjoys which pretty much rules out ADHD or ADD. Now, yes, there are times he will have to listen and focus on a task even if he doesn't enjoy it - that's life. But, if school is not challenging enough for him, that is a problem that his teachers need to address. perhaps you could approach them in partnership and let them know what he is capable of at home and give them some idea of heis personal interests. The purpose of an activity might be to follow directions and fine motor skills but maybe instead of cutting out a flower, he can cut out a dinosaur (just an example). This would help motivate him AND the goals of the activity would still have been reached.

Good luck! Your little one sounds like a bright and thriving 5 year old. Hopefully my suggestions will prove helpful. Let me know and also if I can help further.

S.

Have him evaluated and do it now. It CAN'T HURT, but only help him. I was in denial with my daughter for YEARS. Her teachers said the same things about her. She suffered horribly because I never got her the attention she needed. After YEARS AND years of homework problems, teachers saying she doesn't focus or is lazy, daydreams, zones, etc and more problems with grades (D's, F's) - which by the way I have to say she is super smart, I finally talked to her pediatrician. She's 15 and now taking a med to help her and she's getting A's and B's. What a difference. She said it was like a light being turned on in her head. wow.

I also have a 3 year old who is super smart as well and people have recommended he get evaluated too. I'm not delaying - I made that mistake once. I'm getting him evaluated NOW when there is time for him to get any help he may need if he needs it. It won't hurt to get evaluated. I make the final decision on his care, of course, but will make sure my son gets what he deserves and needs. I will not let him suffer like my daughter has.

I hope you get the evaluation and do a lot of research. If it's nothing - that's great, but at least you found that out.

I guess I would first ask his teachers for more specific information regarding their concerns for advancement to kindergarten. For instance, is it purely based on social maturity/following directions, or is there an academic component as well. Also, I would share what works with you at home for you to get your son to focus and see if his teachers can some how incorporate these things into his behavior plan at school (if he has one). Are his teachers helping him to remain focused and speak in turn by recognizing his good behavior?

Another thing you can try at home is to turn "following directions" into a game to see if he can do it when motivated. Like he has a turn to tell you to "walk to the couch, pick up a book, and sit down" then you have a turn to ask him to do something similar. Right there, that is a three step direction and at least you can tell whether he can acutally follow directions or if it is indeed a focus issue.

Hope this helps.

Well, as someone who grew up with these issues, I would actually (definitely) recommend taking him to a doctor just to take a simple ADD test (yes, they have them ;] ). The thing is that it's so important to catch these kinds of things as early as possible -- not to necessarily just to jump on medication, but simply to learn different ways of handling the issues. It's A LOT easier to start correcting these things at the age of 5 than it is at 8, 10, 15 ... you get the idea. ;) Anyway, I wish you the best of luck -- to you AND your little boy.

I would suggest that you begin pursuing this immediately. I was told my son was 'too young' when I noticed things at that age. He is now 9. He is in the 3rd Grade and is struggling badly and I am having a hard time fighting the school system to test him for an IEP. I am reasonably certain that he has a processing disorder possibly related to dyslexia or discalcula but they keep using that word "focus"...he is by far NOT ADHD everyone agrees upon that. He has a high IQ but cannot add without using his fingers and cannot spell anything correctly. I would start with your pediatrician. then possibly a neurologist if she/he feels that there could be an issue. Of course rule out visual and auditory problems first. Best of luck.

I have not had any trouble with my son being at five since my oldest is three and we have noticed that he does better one on one and not in group settings. For you, when you noticed that you are telling him to do something and he still hasn't done it, there should be a limit and he's pushing the boundaries further and further out. children wants to have boundaries because they feel they are too free and need someone to help them keep themselves within boundaries. He needs discipline at home as well as at school. It's the possibility that he's bored at school and it's not challenging enough for him. My sons, they know where their boundaries are and they are told to do something and if they are deviant saying no, then I tell them they are to do something or they will get whatever the consequence is. If they are not deviant, I go to them, make them move to where I want them to go and I put their hands on the object and show them I want them to put it in the box or whatever it may be. Where are your boundaries? Something to think about and start ASAP while he's young :)

I went through a time with my oldest son with some of the same issues as yours. The school wanted him labeled as ADHD and put on ritalin, a controlled substance. I personally did not feel this was the case with him. I took him to his pediatrician who concurred with the school. But I felt he did not properly evaluate this so I went a step further and consulted a highly recommended psychologist. I was impressed with all the testing he did before he came to a conclusion. My son was not ADHD, the doctor felt he was mildly depressed. He also had some things that interferred with his learning such as being very visually distracted. This doctor told me he would back me up against this school district that seemed to have a high rate of students in special ed and diagnosed with ADHD. It's called more money for the school. Do not take the school's word, seek out a professional diagnosis. I have 3 sons and I find at that age it is more of a maturity issue than anything. I have become a firm believer that boys are really not ready for kindergarten until they are almost 6. Now mind you there are probably exceptions to this just like anything else. FYI: my son is a chatterbox also and he is almost 18 now-the chatter has not changed lol.

My son (now 15) was the same way - very smart, a little bored, and just did whatever he wanted in school. He had a problem with the full-day kindergarten program he was in because he would complete his assignments quickly and then disturb other kids around him. I spoke with his teacher and asked if he could do additional worksheets or tasks in order to keep him occupied. She wasn't too receptive to the idea (I think she saw that as extra work for her), but somehow we made it through kindergarten! When he was going into first grade, I requested he be put with a specific teacher (my daughter, who was only one grade ahead of him, had this teacher) who organized her class (catholic school, 30 students, no aide!) by using a reward system. Those who completed their assignments could move on to various stations (quietly) to do other things (i.e.: coloring, blocks, computer, etc) while the other students were working. My son flourished in this environment, but you have to be lucky enough to have a teacher willing to work with you. If you don't get a positive response from the teacher, try sending him with additional things to quietly occupy himself (books, puzzles, etc) and he can show you his "work" when he gets home. Best of luck!

Please have a non-partial physician evaluate your son. Should there be an issue delaying it will cause disruptive behavior in his classes. Being the class clown will only serve to validate this behavior and his education will suffer.

Dear S. S. I'm wondering if your son would like to play a musical instrument. If he likes it, it might get him to focus, use some of his energy, train his brain using different avenues, help his eye-hand coordination and he can even sing along.

Find a few different instruments that he might like- violin, flute,(well, he can't sing along with this, but you know what I mean, he could hum), piano, I'll bet that he will be intrigued by the sound and love the idea of himself making the sound. For that matter, he could learn to sing or dance or all of the above!
It isn't for all kids, but he sounds like he has a personality that could achieve in music. Best of luck!

I know what you are going through. I am a stay at home mom of two girls ages 7 & 9. I had the same problem with my youngest daughter 2 years ago. I sent out an email to another moms list about her not being able to sit still at the table or at pre-school, and not being able to focus on something except TV or the computer. Someone suggested I try Provex and Florify from Melaleuca. Provex is a really powerful antioxidant that helps the body fight free radicals in the body. It is made from grape seed and grape skin extract, so it is natural. Plus it helped her with her allergies. Florify is a pre and probiotic. That has the equivalant of 10 cups of yogurt a day. It helps cleanse the intestines so they are better able to absorb nutrients. My older daughter has ADHD, an she is now off of her meds due to Florify, Omega-3, and a really good vitamin. I am so proud of how these products have helped my older daughter get off of her meds, that I am spreding the word about them, and earning a supplemental income. I wasn't thrilled about putting her on meds in the first place, but I knew she needed help because her ability to focus effected everything in school and at home. I would love to talk to you about these products. Please email me at ____@____.com Luck to you and your son,
R.

Okay, Have you met my son, you just described him perfectly. I am down to repeating my self 5 times now. He is now 6 1/2 and in 1st grade. He had a hard time focusing last year and still struggles a bit, but he is doing better and despite the issues is doing fine learning. I find that what he eats really effects him. We stay away from sugary cereals in the morning, and only have juice once a day. That seems to help. We do have family with actual allergies to foods that cause behavior problems. Specifically red dye, and preservatives. So talking to your doctor about that may be worthwhile. Best of luck, and don't worry it will get better

Hi S.,

12 years ago my brother was diagnosed with ADD at 18 years old(he was not hyper so it wasn't ADHD). He always had trouble paying attention, his teachers always told my mom he looked spaced out. His grades were horrible but he was bright. He could build or fix anything and spend hours at a time doing it.

By his senior year he was failing out of school and in desperation my mom had him tested for learning disabilities. It turned out he's a genius with ADD. He went on the ritalin and his grades went from a .9 to a 4.0. His SATs went from a 650 (total) to a 1400. (They accused him of cheating and held back his scores until my mom had his doctors write a note explaining things.)

Anyway, I don't know if your son has ADHD, but isn't it better to find out? My poor brother spent his life being told he was bad when really he just couldn't focus on things that didn't totally interest him. I say better safe than sorry and don't worry about the results. You will be better off finding out now than later when your son's self esteem could be in jeopardy. Take care and let me know if you have any questions.

Hi S.,
I recommend the 5 P's...Proper, planning Prevents poor performance.
If the teachers are saying he is having great difficulty in school perhaps it would be valuable to have your son evaluated, before the end of the year.
The school should be asked to complete a Connors Scale evaluation, to help identify the areas of difficulty.
This would be helpful information for you and next years teachers. I would aslo recommend you take your son for a hearing test and eye exam.
Keep things organized at home and give clear simple directions.
Do you think he is asking for some extra attention? How are things at home otherwise?
I am a Mom, Therapist and Write a question and answer column for tweens and teens news in NYC. Tweensandteensnews.com
There are many wonderful resources for you to turn to for your happy little boy. It is important for him to continue to be happy and develop his self esteem and confidence. If he feels like a failure in school that could jepordize his happiness. You sould like a wonderful, involved mom. I hope this helps. -B.

May I suggest an Occupational Therapy evaluation to rule out Sensory Integration Issues. Look that up on google and read about it. There is a good book called the Out of Sync Child which also is an excellent resource. My son is impulsive and has a VERY difficult time with Self-Regulation due to Sensory Integration issues. He has been recieving OT and PT for nearly 2 years with OT to continue when he goes to school in the fall. When my son was evaluated the OT told me that he was a "classic" kid with SI issues which are mis-understood as behavioral problems. Hope this helps!

He is 5. Let him grow up. We as a society are so concerned with giving everyone a "diagnosis" that we stop letting kids be kids. I would listen to the school system, I would accept any additional services they offer (hey your kid will benefit) and go on with your daily life. Maturity happens later for boys and they need the time to just be boys with support and love. good luck.

My son has adhd , he too could sit and listen to an entire story, but it would have to be something that he liked. It sounds to me that he may have adhd and the only way to get that dismissed is from a physician. You should take him to the doctors just to be safe. They don't always put them on medication, there are other options. My son is now 12yrs old and doing great. Your right boys will be boys, but you don't want it to affect his school work. If you don't take him to the doctors and he gets worse at school the school may take this farther. At least you could say he's been to the doctors and does not have adhd or anything else for that matter. My son was diagnosed at age 4. It will get better and always let him know how proud you are of his accomplishments. Try telling him to think real hard before he speaks out, give him options. It will help. Good luck...Kids with adhd are extremely smart, they can learn to focus, it just takes time.

Your son sounds like he might have Atention Deficit... my daughters have the same condition. And they act the exact same way. I would ask his pediatrician to check him over and diagnose him. Then he will be able to get special services at school structured toward him.

Hi S.,

I am a teacher aswell. The first thing I thought of was ADD, have you had him tested? I know you hate that question. But, as I read on I thought maybe a hearing problem, or he is bored. I would suggest you check all the above out. Start with the hearing issue first, then his testing ability. He could be totally BORED. Then, I would suggest getting him tested for ADD. You need to negate everything one step at a time. I will tell you this, if it does come down to him being ADD, it is not a bad thing. There are new meds that do not make your child a zombie, and no one will be able to tell he is on the meds. The only people that will know are the teacher, guidance, etc.. I in fact have a student that is now just starting to take meds, and no else has noticed. Well, they have because he is not disrupting my class so much, but they do not think much about it. I teach 6th grade, and you know they will open their mouths!! LOL Take one step at a time, and talk to the school, and doctors. I hope I helped. Kathleen

S.,

I know how scary it can be to have teachers telling you they are concerned about your child's behavior. He might have an issue like ADD, he may not. In any event you ought to know that attention problems in children have been linked to chemicals in our homes and schools.

The first thing I would do if I were you (I actually have already done this for my children) is to remove all of the harmful chemicals and toxins from your home. If you want to know more about the dangers of what is in your home I would be happy to share some information with you.

The second thing I would do is to get him on a high quality multivitamin (if you are already using store bought vitamins like Flintstones or store brands, you should know that they aren't absorbed very effectively). Once again, I have the perfect solution for this.

The third thing you should do is consider a natural supplement specifically designed to impact brain function. It includes omega 3 fatty acids, which are known to positively effect the brain.

I have a friend whose children were having similar issues as your son and they did just what I described, with incredible results. She now has children who have not been sick in over a year, and are able to maintain attention at school. I would really love to tell you more about this since I know that this is the most effective way to be proactive about your sons behaviors and development.

Feel free to email me and we can discuss this further.My email is ____@____.com. I really want to help you help your son. A good start in kindergarten is so important for your sons future success in school, plus it greatly impacts how he feels about himself, and what is more important than that?

D.

S. my son just turn 7 on Monday 3rd and I have the same problem with him but I found out that he's bored at what they are giving him because he already knows the work so he do not want to do it and he need something else more challenging to do. I had to go to the school and speak to the teachers and they agreed to give him something different to do, because kids get very bored when they already know the work and has to do the same thing over and over again so try talking to the teacher and ask her if they can give him something different from what he's doing now ok.

Good Luck.

R. M.