Dr. Robert Needlman
Specialist in pediatric behavior and development.
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 Ask Dr. Needlman
A Talkative Seven-Year-Old | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Needlman,
What do you do with a seven-year-old who gets into trouble at school for talking? This has been a problem since school started and it's not improving. Now the teacher is sending notes home because of these things requesting conferences.
— Kim in MA | | | ANSWER |
February 20, 2001 | | | Dear Kim,
There are many reasons a child might be having this problem. As a start in figuring it out, think about all the different situations in which your child regularly functions: at home, in the neighborhood, with friends, perhaps at church or in restaurants. Do problems with talking too much or acting inappropriately occur in several of these settings, or are they limited to school? Do these problems occur only during one subject (say, math or reading), or all through the day?
The problem has been evident "since school started." If by this you mean since the beginning of this school year (i.e., not since kindergarten), what is different about this particular classroom? For example, is your child expected to sit quietly at a desk for long periods of time, whereas last year was much less structured?
When you have your conference with the teacher, it's important that you go into it with an open mind. Think of yourself and the teacher as a team working together to define the problem and come up with solutions. If you feel that you aren't making progress, it also can be helpful to schedule an appointment with your child's doctor. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can cause children to have the problem you describe, although I wouldn't jump to that diagnosis directly.
You also might find some helpful suggestions from the School Problems and Attention Problems sections of our website. — by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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