Please can I pick your collective brains about 2 issues: I have been getting reports back from my ds' school in the last fortnight saying that they are noticing a "fluctuation in his behaviour". Apparently he tends to be very calm in the mornings but about 11.30 (when his Ritalin wears off) he is "very silly" - fidgiting, crawling around, rolling around, shouting out, making noises etc. He then has another tablet after lunch (which can take an hour to eat).
I suggested that maybe the medication needs to be upped, but am obviously not happy to do this until I speak to the consultant (he has just turned 7 and is on 30mg a day). I will go and see his teacher next week to discuss this more fully. I can't see the behaviour they describe happening at the weekends - but will keep an eye on him as he is not with his dad this Sat pm.
However, the problem is that in the last few weeks, he has been bullied quite a bit - something the school doesn't seem to want to hightlight to me! I called the deputy head after my ds was pushed to the ground by the top of his head and jumped on to by a larger boy on his chest. He couldn't breathe in without a lot of pain and was very distressed, as you can imagine. I got a monosyllabic voiced deputy telling me that the school would not act unless it "happened again". Since then, he has had his shoes taken - leaving him on a muddy field in just his socks, and various other small incidents. Today, 3 boys tried to tie him to a tree with a skipping rope and he was kicked a few times and sent home with a sick note about his bruised leg.
I understand that his peers instinctively know that my ds is different but cannot put their finger on it, and he really is a gentle helpful soul (when on his Ritalin). What can I do? I tried speaking to the new Headmistress as I understand she has zero tolerance on bullying, but she was too busy to talk to me. The deputy, I felt (maybe cos he is male) just didn't seem to understand why I was upset about what happened to my ds.
Am I wrong to get upset and worried about my ds's safety at school? FFS he doesn't wear a bright orange anorak for nothing! It was bought with the sole intention of catching the dinnerladies eye should he be in trouble! They just pooh pooh the fact that he is upset and distressed by others behaviour toward him. What can I do? Any suggestions gratefully accepted.