Question
Our 5 year old son is having behavior problems at school that began approximately in January. He was four at the time. Before that time he was a very well-behaved, sweet boy. Since ~January he has become more inattentive, hyper, defiant, unable to sit still in school, and violent (hitting his friends, throwing things). Academically he is doing well. But when state testing was done he scored very low because he obviously wasn't interested in trying. Most of these problems are occurring at school. At home the issues are not as prominent. We are concerned about ADHD, but have read through your books that most of the time this is a bogus diagnosis. We have tried taking away toys, yelling, talking, confining him to his room with all his personal belongings locked in his closet (for a few days); his behavior has gotten better for a day or two then he went right back to this "bad child." If this is ADHD wouldn't the symptoms be constant and would they be getting worse? He can play alone with his toys quietly for quite a while without supervision. He can zone out while watching a movie for an hour or so and not have to get up and move around like he does in class. We don't want to overlook any real issues but at the same time we don't want to do harm by being too hard on him. He is only 5 years old. Is his behavior "normal for a boy"? Please help! We are praying for the right guidance and advice to help our child. Thank you in advance for your time and suggestions. God bless!
