unruly 8 year old boy
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re... : unruly 8 year old boy 
02/04/2009 20:04 - Ask Mother Hen
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Sorry Julie, we are being currently seeing a psychologist in St James´s and have been since early 08 (they are who confirmed that he didn´t have ADD/ADHD).
The NEPS assessment was carried out in 07. I just had a read of the recommendations of the report and it said just to monitor him as see if a pattern becomes apparent. Nothing has.
He has difficulty in expressing his emotions and frustrations which leads him into tantrums, these can last for up to half an hour. He doesn´t mind being punished for his behaviour and will state that he doesn´t care.
He has resource hours in place in school during the day for an hour or two and has been awarded a full-time SNA which I am told is on the way! However, the school doesn´t seem to think that this will be a solution to his problems with his emotional wellbeing.
| re : unruly 8 year old boy
30/03/2009 22:27 - Ask Mother Hen
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Sensory integration dysfunction (SID) can sometimes be a partial diagnosis. There may be other factors at play. Although you have been wonderful and have given a very good description, without having access to the full NEPS report, it is difficult to assess the situation fully.
It would be most unusual for a NEPS psychologist to make a decision or otherwise on ADHD. NEPS psychologists normally concentrate and diagnose learning difficulties. Significant attention difficulties often co-exist with Sensory integration disorder/dysfunction. On its own, SID does not qualify your little boy for Resource 1:1 teaching. It seems that you MAY need to have an appointment with a clinical psychologist if you need to go down that route.
Were there any recommendations for resources in either the NEPS or Occupational Therapy Reports? Was there a statement of Care Needs that would entitle your son to some input from a Special Needs Assistant? From what you´ve described, your little boy needs significant help in order to access the curriculum in the classroom setting. These kind of difficulties often manifest themselves whena child is in about 1st class. It is a tribute to you and the school that these assessments have already taken place. I suspect, however, that in order to get the resources your little boy will need, you need to have a further asessment. Depending on what part of the country you live in , you could ask the NEPS psychologist to meet with you again. Perhaps the onward referral form him/her, in light of more recent difficulties, may be reconsidered. Different services (some with extensive waiting lists) are available in different parts of the country. If I knew what region you were in, I may be able to suggest some possibilities.
This is a difficult situation for you but you have taken the hardest steps and you are probably almost there. Keep it up, work with the school, suggest a further meeting with the NEPS psychologist and decide from there. Good Luck.
| unruly 8 year old boy
30/03/2009 21:11 - Ask Mother Hen
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I am a single mother to an 8 year old boy in 2nd class. He has always had ´issues´ in school with his behaviour, lack of respect for authority and being diciplined but since Sept he has become completely unruly, often shouting at his teacher, refusing to do his class work, . He understands that he has to complete the work and after a struggle it is done but his teacher finds him to be very difficult to teach and get through the day. At home he completes his homework with no problem and is well able, is normally well behaved. He says that he doesn´t like to do his work in school, mainly English and Irish. He often walks about the classroom during class time, sits upside down on his chair, under the table, banging his head etc... I have been called in practically weekly for meetings and have had assessments carried out by NEPS (which came back clear of ADD/ADHD) and offering little advice to solutions. I took privately for an O.T. assessment and was told that sensory processing disorder could be a cause to him not being able to sit still in class and concentrate. I enrolled him for a Rainbows program within the school but he was excluded from this after 5 weeks for also being disruptive. I take him to a variety of activities after school (karate, yoga & swimming) thinking that they would help him. He never has a problem going to school, has lots of friends, it seems that the issues only arise as soon as he´s in the classroom but he has a complete lack of respect for his teacher. Has anyone any suggestions - I am really finding it hard to cope with it all. Thanks in advance!
| re... : unruly 8 year old boy
01/04/2009 19:36 - Ask Mother Hen
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Thanks Julie, I think your answer is comprehensive and I would agree with all you say. Best of luck.
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