an excerpt

From a letter than I had to write for N's Doctor:

·         Lack of ability to control impulse

o    Examples: Hitting classmates, getting out of line, playing on the stairs, touching things that are not his, scribbling on pages instead of doing work, talking out of turn.

·         Lack of ability to ignore distractions

o    Example: When there is too much noise, he will block his ears and yell or hum.

o    Example: He is required to wear a tie per school uniform, which he pulls off and plays repeatedly each day.

·         Need for attention from an adult

o    Example: If he is not called on first, he will yell or whine.

o    Example: If his behavior is ignored (I do not acknowledge negative behaviors, only positive) he will become very agitated and can cry for 15-40 minutes or more.

·         Need for movement and sensory stimulation

o    Example: Touches surfaces of everything, even familiar objects (i.e., lockers, tables, sinks, walls) repeatedly. This behavior distracts him from other necessary behaviors.

o    Example: Shouts and makes loud noises during lessons or in the hallways.

·         Difficulty with abstract thinking

o    Example: Struggles with questions during reading such as, “How do you think he is feeling?” or “Why do you think he is doing that?”

o    Example: Cannot always read the emotions or expressions of classmates - someone is crying because they were hit and he will say, “X is mad.” or someone is crying and N will laugh, not realizing they are upset. 

I am not sure that I will ever stop being mad about the fact that I cannot give this child what he needs.