Ken--school

[Guest guest]

Hi Ken

Well as every one else seems to be saying.......... sounds identical to

Adam!!! When Adam was in grade 1, the teacher had this tent in the class

(don't ask.....she was bizarre) for kids to get into to make reading

" fun " .........well whenever someone noticed Adam was missing (which was

often back then) he was often found in the tent sound asleep.

Adam is an excellent reader but slow as rain at everything else (unless it

has to do with video games in any fashion!). Adam's big thing he would say

to me is " my brain won't let me do it " Whatever that means!!!!

All your suggestions are good ones. Since he's not on the periactin in the

a.m. and thankfully, can sleep in later, I would try the food(s) as a

possibility. A shot of energy with some complex carbs (it's a shame we can't

have peanut butter anymore in the schools that was a great fix for Adam).

Crackers and cheese maybe?? Or a juice box (100% juice??) Just tell those

teachers that are telling you constantly how he's getting nothing done that

this might help.......and they'll have to remember to get him to eat/drink.

The good news?? Well for one, is already on GHT......Adam didn't start

until he was 8 (what was that grade 3??) but I have noticed each year that

his ability to stay awake and keep up with the other kids is improving. He's

still not as quick as the others but he's getting there.

Adam's sore spot is math. But then again the *tent* teacher told everyone of

the grade 1 parents that she hated math and rarely taught it. Dah!!

Finally, Adam was constantly falling asleep 5:30 or 6:00 p.m. at night. And

no matter what I did that kid would not wake up. I'd leave him in the middle

of the living room floor......phones ringing, tv blarring.......and not a

stir. Wed. to Friday's were especially hard. It's been getting better since

he started GH as well..........that's why you might be lucky and not have

this lasting too long.

I have always made the simple point with doctors and/or teachers and/or the

clueless administrators " look at the boy......he is ½ the size of his

classmates and yet we are expecting him to work and keep up with kids way

bigger than him " . Even now I can say he looks like a 5 or 6 year old....and

most kids that size only go to school ½ a day and get a nap????? Mine is in

grade 6!! What expectations! It helped to make them see it that way.

In a nut shell? Try scheduling a snack every hour or two. He's only ½ day

right? He could be real interested in checking out what others are

doing/saying......you know quietly sitting at the snack table and taking it

all in (except his snack??) He needs an energy boost.

Also the lethargic can be a sign of just being bored. Either he's struggling

with what he should be doing and can't be bothered so he kind of gets quiet

and sullen (mistaken for lethargic) or he knows exactly what the answer is

(let's say) and because it's soooooo obvious....he's bored as a

result....again just sinking down within himself out of boredom.

So how do you compensate? Well, the teacher could change her schedule around

(send the other kids into outer space...they hate change) and have some real

motivating activities and see what his level of energy is (or she can just

watch for one of those days to occur and pay special attention to 's

energy level). But all that will do is give you some information on " why " it

won't help or change anything.

Absolutely last piece of advice?? Boys are often this way when young and

tend to snap out of it around grade 3 (Adam didn't!!) I teach a pile of

grade 3 boys this year and I swear someone switched kids between what I have

now and what they were like in Sept. Totally different kids!!!!

Consider moving to Canada!! You can rent out at my place and can come

to my school! There! Problem solved.

Debby