Dr. Robert Needlman
Specialist in pediatric behavior and development.
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 Ask Dr. Needlman
Child Recently Started Acting Out in School | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Needlman,
My very bright seven-year-old girl recently started acting out in school. She says she acts out to make the other kids laugh and because she wants everyone to like her. She stands on her desk during lessons, eats her erasers, and completely ignores the teacher. Neither talking with her nor punishing her has helped. Her teachers say they want to put her on behavioral drugs. Is this wise? What can I possibly do to help my daughter without making her dependent on drugs at such an early age? Please help. I'm only 23 and do not have the slightest idea on how to do this right. Thank you!— Heather in Los Angeles, CA | | | ANSWER |
November 20, 2001 | | | Dear Heather,
Being a class clown is not the same as a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which would be the real reason for considering using medication. Our site has a lot of information on ADHD (see the link, above), which can help you to feel better informed about this condition.
There are many reasons why a child may act like the "class clown." Probably the best reason is the one your daughter gives, which is that the other children are amused by it, and she feels that she is accepted and liked by them.
Sometimes, children resort to clowning when they feel that there is no other way to win approval or get noticed. That is, the clowning may be a sign that the child feels rejected or ignored by the group or has low self-esteem. In those cases, adults need to help the child find other ways of feeling good about herself. It's very important that your daughter has at least one good friend--someone she feels comfortable playing with, who's support she can count on. A child who does not have at least one friend is bound to feel isolated and miserable. You might find some ideas on how to help her in our peers and friends section. Sometimes, work with a child mental health professional can help a child learn how to make friends.
Just telling a child not to clown in class--"talking to her" as you say--is not likely to be very effective. In order to give up the clowning, a child has to learn other ways to feel successful and accepted. Getting involved in drama might be one way to channel your daughter's talents. Perhaps she can use her brightness to excel academically (it also sometimes happens that very bright children turn to clowning because they are bored by the class material--in this case, a teacher who can assign special, more challenging work, can be the answer).
As a next step, you might talk with a counselor at the school, and perhaps arrange for some academic testing (to see if she might be bored in class, looking for so-called "giftedness"). Talking with the teacher to think up solutions together is also a good place to start. Medication would make sense only if there were other signs of ADHD, and your daughter had had a complete evaluation.— by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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