I posted this in the teaching forum and received no response. I’m hoping for better luck here!
Hi. My 5 1/2-year-old son is in a SPED 1st grade classroom, 8 kids total, for ADHD and behavioral/adjustment issues. He has lately been refusing to do the classwork unless someone is working with him one-on-one. His teacher has told me that if she’s working with him one-on-one, he’s fine, but if another student has a question and she leaves him, he starts immediately saying, “I can’t do it! I need help” loudly.
The issue is, he can do the work. In fact, they’re starting off the year with easy work that he is more than capable to doing. I can get him to do work at home, even advanced work, with a lot of redirection. But once redirected, he works mostly independently.
My son tells me the schoolwork is not that hard, but he only wants to do easy work. I think he may be bored, but I’m not sure. The teacher is reluctant to give him anything more advanced because he seldom will show her that he can do the easy stuff. Aftercare has no problem getting him to do his homework.
I have to admit I’m frustrated, because this is supposed to be SPED, with a small classroom size, and not only is he less willing to work there than when he was in regular ed K, but he and the others in his class seem to always be in conflict. Teasing, name-calling, pushing, hitting, arguing. I am afraid he’s picking up more inappropriate behaviors. So far, he’s been pushed down twice, resulting in a bump on the head and scars on an elbow. He has lashed out too, but hasn’t produced any bumps or bruises from what I’ve heard. I expressed concern about a child on the school bus who kept telling my son he’d kill him. The boy is separated from the other riders, but now the bus driver is saying my son is calling other kids names for no reason. Yes, that’s wrong. But why is it just now being brought to my attention when I complain?
The school psychologist is working with my son and is optimistic, but much of the work is trying to reason with him. That’s okay, and I do that myself, but I was told that with children with executive function issues, reasoning with them doesn’t help. Is that true?
I am concerned about my son’s safety in this school and wonder if it is the right program for him. Any thoughts? Thanks!
Re: Posting Again -- Please advise
Thanks for responding! I think you’re right on target with your observations, but let me answer your questions.
My son has an other health impaired IEP for the ADHD, combined type. He also tested as social and emotionally developmentall delayed. He is hyperactive, but really his biggest problem is impulse control. At the same time, he has no LDs and he also scores high in IQ. That mix is apparently difficult for the school system to accommodate. There has been so much improvement in the last year. His classroom is a self-contained class of kids who primarily have ED IEPs. My son landed there because of his behavior problems, and that was the least restrictive environment the school system could find for him. The other alternatives are either a private special-ed school that focuses on therapeutic intervention and takes the same types of children he has in the class with him now, or a special ed class with children who have a variety of LDs and intelligence levels, which is also not appropriate for him.
I think a pull-out is workable, but he needs someone to help him stay on task and get his classwork done. He also needs to work with a psychologist when he has the tantrums (I have him in therapy, and a school psychologist works with him now) A 1:1 aide was assigned to my son yesterday; I will see if that works. A regular private school w/small class size won’t have the supports or tolerance for his disruptions, I’m afraid.
Thanks again.
Re: Posting Again -- Please advise
I am in the exact same situation with my son. He is placed in a special ed class receiving his academics one on one with the teacher and mainstreamed for all specials. He needs constant redirection than can work independently. He is doing well but because of behavior issues (he talks excessively, often gets up, and sometimes annoys the other kids) they have been hesitant to mainstream for any academics. I have also felt that he is picking up the bad behavior of the other kids in the classroom so have now insisted he be mainstreamed for science and social studies which he will start next week. He will stay in special ed for reading and math as those are his weakest subject and also receive his occupational therapy in there. He is also classified other “other health impaired” and I have taken him to 3 Docs and still don’t have a diagnosis. He clearly has sensory integration dysfunction but we are not clear as to whether he has ADHD, auditory processing disorder or both. I am taking him for the APD test some time this month. All children, regardless of disability, have the right to a public education and the regular teachers need to deal with him. I do love his special ed teacher but sometimes feel the only reason he’s in that class is because the regular teachers don’t feel like going the extra mile to help him out when he needs it. Keep in mind that you have the right to change the IEP whenever you feel necessary so if you feel he shouldn’t be there than speak your mind.
Re: Posting Again -- Please advise
Thanks, Kim. A 1:1 aide began working with my son this week. And his advocate will go and observe him this Monday. My advocate thinks a more therapeutic envirnoment (private spec. ed school at County expense) is what’s needed. I used to agree, but now I’m reluctant to go along with that. The County will try to send him to a crappy school in the County, under the theory that busing him to another County, with the better schools, is of detriment to him. But I’ve heard more than one educator caution against the County private SE schools b/c he’ll really be around undesireable behavior that will be easy to pick up. We’d have to fight for the better schools, which will mean a long bus ride for him.
Also, his program is supposed to promote mainstreaming on a gradual basis; I’ll check into how soon he can start doing that. My son will also cry easily and loudly (that could be the medication, but he takes such a low dose now), and he’ll lash out at kids who tease or provoke him (or whom he perceives as doing such). He’ll run out of the classroom periodically. So the school may be very reluctant to start pulling him out of his SE class to start mainstreaming now. But I will ask about that at the periodic review to see if that sparks any interest in him doing his work.
Finally, an OT in the school system is beginning to evaluate him. I have concerns about auditory processing and sensory issues. We’ll see what happens with that testing.
I know that with my daughter (ADHD, 10yr) when she is given a bunch of easy work that she gets used to that and tends to get upset when she is required to do more. It sounds like your son notices that he gets attention when the teacher is working with him and that he notices that if he doesn’t do the work when she is away from him that she will come back. I have been told that children with ADHD/LD sometimes aren’t the best fit for behavior classrooms because they tend to pick up the wrong behaviors. It is better for them to be around those without behavior problems so they can be a model of appropriate behaviors. Does he have learning disabilities? Or is he in that classroom because of his ADHD. If he doesn’t have LD I would see about putting him in the regular class. If he does have LD I would think about mainstreaming him and having him pulled out for the subjects that he has difficulties with. That is just my thoughts, the main thing I can say is that you are your child’s best advocate and if you feel something is not working for him let the school know. Good luck.