Possibly Failing Kindergarden

Like I told someone yesterday, I had my kindergardener labeled with ADHD just so he could get the extra help. I am not medicating him or doing anything with the label just using it for the extra help at school. I even told the doctor if he doesn't get the label then he won't be able to get help at school and he would most likely struggle through the rest of his school years. It's sad to say but if you do get him that ADHD label the school has to give him extra help.

He sounds exactly like my kindergartener before he was diagnosed with ADHD. Always extremely energetic, could not sit still in his seat and I was told on an almost daily basis that he did not "have his listening ears on." The truth of it was, he knew he was misbehaving but he could just not control himself.
My suggestion would be to make an appointment with his pediatrician and tell him/her your concerns. Doctors (the good ones) don't like to diagnose ADHD especially in a child so young, but if the report from the teacher and from you show behaviors pointing to ADHD they will make the diagnosis. As soon as my son went on the meds, it was like night and day. He can stay in his seat for more than 5 min, he does not get frustrated so easily and quickly, he can complete his work and he is fluorishing.
I know there is a stigma out there about those of us who choose to medicate, but as a mom, I know this was best for us. Ignore the stigma, and do what you feel is right for your boy to succeed. If he fails that can affect his confidence and he is too young to begin with self esteem issues.

One of the first things you need to consider is his age. Is he on the young side for kindergarten or on the older side? What I mean is; is his birthday at the beginning, middle or end of the school year. Is it over the summer, making him one of the youngest in his class. Maturity is a huge part of learning and maybe he is just not there yet. Holding him back in kinder is no big deal. My brother was held back due to a language issue and he is now a very successful lawyer, a partner at his firm.
The second thing to consider, as much as you might hate it, is ADD or ADHD. Research the typical characteristics and see if he has any of them. If he does, talk to your Pediatrician. He will be tested and then you have your answer. If he is diagnosed with ADD or ADHD the diagnosis is not a death sentence but the starting point to help him be successful, which is all you really want for him. Good Luck!

ADHD is a biological disease, not a choice. It is no more "classified' or pigeon holed than someone with cancer, it's not a choice just the way it is. If he is ADHD then medication is the only way he can manage the brain activity that is going on in his brain. Food and additives can influence his behaviors but they don't stop the misfiring synapsis going on.

My daughter had issues and was placed in a 2nd level type Kindergarten and I feel if she had had the opportunity to have medication she may not have dropped out of school at 15 and never been able to accomplish anything.

A friend of mine struggled with ADHD all her life and has now written a book called "Straight Talk about ADD and ADHD By NCP, CFCC, Gayle, LPC Herron MS".

http://books.google.com/books?id=Gvqgnw5RRnMC&printse...

Sometimes it's the way of teaching too. I removed my kids from public to a charter school and there doing well now. So think about the school to!!

As an experienced mom of 5, I say Talk to your pediatrician about ADHD meds and don't be afraid to give them a try. If you don't like your child's behavior on them, then don't continue. Of our 5 kids, 2 REALLY needed ADHD meds. It is the difference between a sweet child and a child that is off the wall constant motion! Like you, we didn't want our child labelled. Guess what? He was anyway! He was labelled by teachers as difficult, by friends as not fun, by friends parents as the 'child we don't want to have at our house'. Because of OUR fears, he didn't get Adderall until he was a teenager. So much lost time.....school was such a struggle. So were friendships, etc. But, by the time our 4th child was in kindergarten, we knew so much more. 4th's personality is almost the same as first child. But because 4th started on Adderall early, his whole school experience has been totally different (and better) than first child. I suggest you give it a try. Your instincts are telling you he is different than other kids. If your child doesn't need the drugs, you won't see the positive results in behavior. You'll know if it is right for him. Just try it; at the least you'll have more info than if you didn't try.

I know some parents do not want their child to be classified as something. I am an Occupational Therapist with a son who also has trouble with listening skills, attending to task and lots of high energy. He has an IEP at school for language impairment and will soon be taken off therapy because he does not need it anymore. However, he has trouble finishing his tasks in school and attending. He needs extra time for his work and tests. He is not classified as ADHD but I am sure he is. I don't need to classify him as ADHD but to show that he requires extra time I and the teacher had to fill out a report of how he attends at home and in school. This will help him get the extra time he needs, especially when he hits the 3rd grade for FCAT. I suggest you have a conference with the teacher and ask questions. They may recommend repeating Kindergarten and that is ok. It is better to have them repeat then struggle. I have worked in the school system and seen so many kids pushed to the next level because parents feel bad having them repeat even when repeating has been recommended. These children suffer and develop low self-esteem.
Wish you all the best

My oldest is ADHD and I had him medicated in 1st through 3rd. By 4th I took him off all meds and we dealt with the behaviours with consistency and diet . People have had ADHD for centuries and they have not been medicated and have been very successful.
You can have him labeled so the school can have the paper to legally give him an IEP. THis is his Individual Education Plan and merely states what the school can and will do for him. Sometimes it merely states that he can stand near his desk instead of sitting to do seat work. Sometimes they are much more involved, like he has to have a one on one aide throughout the day.
Labeling does not mean you have to put him on the meds. Although I do think the meds are different now than they were 15 years ago and maybe better?.
Repeating Kindergarten is better than say 7th grade. I repeated Kinder and have done fine, Mom to this day says I should have had that medication my son was on. Now it would just slow me down.
Keep his schedule and discipline very consistent.
Do numbers in an active way. Tell him to find 10 shells at the beach. THen have him get 5 more. Now count them.
Write letters in the sand. Have him help you make cookies.
ADHD is not a death sentence and it could be he is just an acive little boy.

Sounds like your child needs help balancing his energy and nervous system... nutritional adjustments, energy balancing, stress reduction, learning aids, and other resources could help him. You haven't tried everything - you've only tried what you've known of and though to try so you are asking others if they know of additional things you can try. You can contact me if you'd like any more specific suggestions.

I love, love, love what Melissa T said about how he will end up be labeled whether you like it or not, so get him the help if he needs it. I want to throw out there, too, that if he is this far into kindergarten and can't count to 20, you should not be looking necessarily at ADD/ADHD but at a developmental delay or learning disability.

homework, practice practice practice, and some tutoring!