7 Year Old Boy

[hedwig06]

I have a 7 year old DS, he is the youngest in his year 3 class.

For the last 2 years I have had the teacher coming out to me in the line at home time, to give me an account of what he has done wrong during that day.

He is not "naughty", but he rocks on his seat, fidgetes with his pencil, clothes things on the desk, etc, doesn't sit on his bum, but rocks on his knees, stares off into space, he hasn't completed a piece of work in the last few weeks at all.
He starts his work, then apparently forgets, what the instructions were, he won't put his hand up and ask for it to be explained again, he just sits there in his own world or mucking about, talking to his friends, while they do their work. He cannot do 2 things at once, i.e. talk to his friends as well as his work, he finds it impossible.

All I've had from his 2 teachers upto know is, "he isn't naughty but ......"

Is he a typical 7 year old? I think so, but maybe I'm biased. The teachers have started murmuring about ADHD....

I have noticed that his friends are more mature than him, but he will catch up eventually - I think - lol

Please any thoughts?

I have a 7 yo ds, also one of the youngest in year 3.

The school has decided to take him off an IEP but he was having trouble with finishing a piece of work and concentrating, also he's left handed and his hand-writing is now year 2 level, thank goodness. I haven't been collared by his teacher for a while so I assume he's OK. Also he had trouble with instructions, I assume the school are managing this now.

Has the school written an Individual Education Plan? This would detail the strategies they are using to help him - they used to use a 5 minute egg timer with my ds to encourage him to finish a piece of work.

How are his motor skills? Sounds a a bit like dyspraxia as well...lots of these things overlap. My DS (5_) struggling with similar stuff in reception-maybe a referral to an OT would help-DS has special cushion to sit on and stuff to fidget with (squashy ball) and this helps him concentrate. Timeres can work well as well-build up the time he sits still for with appropraite reward at the end.
The other thing DS has is very wide peripheral vision so if something catches his eys he cannot filter out and ignore-he has to look at it so he is highly distracted in the classroom.
We are doing primitive reflex inhibition exercises and sound therapy which is really helping. Google INPP and see if list of things apply to your DS...something like a retained spinal galant reflex can make it impossible for children to sit with back against a chair so they always squirm and fidget.
Good Luck!!

Thanks for both of your replies.

I have heard of an IEP, but in reference to other children in the school, nothing has been mentioned for my DS. Can I ask for this myself, or does it have to be offered, or requested by a GP for instance?

His teacher did keep him in during his luchtime play last week, to try and get him to finish a piece of work, but to be honest I really didn't like the idea of this, so I asked her not to do this again, and if she would like me to start taking extra work home I would do so, but as to yet she hasn't taken me up on the offer.

It frustrates me that other children's parents in his class, who are naughty, rude, disruptive, etc aren't spoken to like I am, nearly every night at home time.
His teacher's argument when I asked this, was to say that DS has the ability and has all the ideas, but won't contribute them or put them down on paper, I think she is frustrated that he has the ability, but can't get him to put that ability down in his work.

I really don't like to label him, and honestly thought he was a typical 7 year old, but at the same time, I don't want to wish in a few years that I had done something earlier if he really does need some help....

I think I will ask his teacher about an IEP, and about timing him doing some work.

Thanks again for your thoughts they are really appreciated

No worries-an IEP is normally instigated by the school and is supposed to be direcly linked to a childs specific needs. You could have a chat with his teacher and see if she felt this was necessary at this stage but I would have thought the school would have initiated something by now if they thought it was a serious problem...I honestly believe some children (particularly boys) are often natural day dreamers-there was a fab thread on here a while back called "dreamer of dreams"-see if you can find because this described my DS to a tee..take heart he is probably highly imaginative and intelligent just not that into getting it down on paper...and who can blame him?

Oddgirl,

He is definitely one of life's dreamers -

I do get alot of well if I ask him for the answer, he knows it but won't put his hand up.... well I never did either, I preferred to stay in the background, I don't think there is anything wrong with it to be honest, it's just that some of us aren't geared towards a strict school day, (I think that made sense)!!

I think also his teacher is a bit narked at me as I don't get all upset and start making promises of change the next day, I did at one time, but I now know what my DS's limits are, and there's no point in promising things when I KNOW he won't stick to them.

It's a shame really, as he gets so upset and tries so hard, but within 2 minutes he's away with the fairies, or dinosaurs or fighting with Ben 10........

Thanks for your help.

I agree with Oddgirl about getting a referral to an OT. In the meantime get a book called 'Raising a Sensory Smart Child' off Amazon. It should give you some ideas.

In general it sounds like he could be 'Sensory seeking' and therefore keeping him in at playtime is the worst thing to do. The teacher probably needs to find lots of errands for him to run to break up the time sitting down.

I'd request a meeting with the teacher and SENCo at school to discuss a plan.