About Marilyn Robb Expertise I am an educational psychologist and counsellor, with more ten years of experience in teaching, parenting, running support groups and workshops, teacher training and counselling. I would like to share my knowledge and expertise in issues particularly related to helping children cope with learning and the school experience.
Expert: Marilyn Robb Date: 11/18/2005 Subject: Elementary Education
Question Dear Ms. Robb,
I am a junior in the Elementary Education program at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
This semester I have been doing observations and teaching mini lessons to children in Kindergarten and 2nd grade. I have enjoyed the experience so far. My question is about disclipine for a child with ADHD. More specifically, when the child acts out in class and all the other students are telling the child to be quiet, and still the child does not listen to them or the teacher, what next? This is a very intelligent student when it comes to the classroom work, but socially there are many problems I see.
I really appreciate your advice. I hope to add these questions to my teaching portfolio before the end of this semester. Again, thank you and I certainly look forward to a response.
Wendy Ausmus
Answer Dear Wendy
Thank you for your question., though I am not quite clear what you are asking.
If this child has been properly diagnosed with ADHD then there should be some kind of IEP in place for the child. And you or any other teacher should not be guessing as to how to help the child cope with the symtpoms. I would not hazard a guess either. You say 2 important things- the child with ADHD so I am taking it there has been the appropriate conferencing among the teachers, parents, school counselor/educational psychologists, medical personnel etc to arrive at this diagnosis. And you also say there are many social problems.
Each child is different , even when commonly labelled with ADHD and so there needs to be treatment to match the diagnosis.
Kindergarten and 2nd grade children cannot understand the condition of ADHD and should not be expected to tell a child to be quiet and expect that would work.
Where are the experts in that classroom? I think those are the ones who should be assisting and supporting you to deal with the situation. You need to talk to whoever diagnosed the child and other more experienced teachers, (and those who are teaching him now or taught him before) and his parents to find out what is the behavior modification that has been designed for him. Call a conference and deal with this professionally and properly, rather than in any haphazard way.
You will be doing yourself more of a disservice by not consulting the others in the situation and strategizing on how to help this child collectively. If the child is in fact ADHD then you addressing one aspect of behavior intermittently is not going to get to the heart of the issue and help in any long-term way.
Good luck
Dr.Marilyn Robb
