Click Here for Printable pdf Version I saw Janine about two weeks before the beginning of school. Sixteen, with brown hair in a pixie cut, and wearing a baggy T shirt and short shorts, she slouched comfortably, one leg thrown over the arm of the chair in my office. I had treated Janine for anxiety for more than two years,
Every year about this time I start seeing relaxed, sunburnt kids reluctantly gearing up for the coming school year. For those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) returning to the classroom can be a stressful prospect. When I ask if they feel ready, I normally get a shrug or a headshake no; But Josh, a stocky fifth grader who often
Usually when I see a young patient, and have appropriate testing done, I am able to form an effective treatment plan that often leads to improvement in the child’s learning and behavior. But every summer I find children who improve because of something else: no school. Take Mrs. Pollack and her daughter Julie, for example. Julie, who’s twelve, has attention,
Ellen Walker spoke dispassionately about her 8 ‑year ‑old son Teddy’s many problems. “He has learning disabilities and an inability to interact with classmates. He’s disorganized. He doesn’t listen. Every day is a string of arguments, tears, melt downs. I’m afraid he’s profoundly handicapped,” Mrs. Walker concluded. It was a somber picture that she painted. When I asked about her
The little girl sitting on the consulting room table, Sara Miller, was solemn and plump, with brown hair cut in bangs. She and her mom, who looked a lot like her, were from a rural community about two hours away, referred by their local G.P.to the neurology clinic where I was doing my training. Because she was one of my
Richard Drake, the father of my nine-year-old patient James, shifted irritably in his seat, as if the diagnosis I had just mentioned in relation to his son, Attention Deficit Disorder, was something the parent just couldn’t sit still for. “That makes no sense to me,” Mr. Drake burst out. “I know James has a problem. His teacher says if nothing
Recently my friend Sandra told me about her son Nate’s first day of kindergarten. She had done everything she could think of to prepare him. I had talked to her about gradually familiarizing him with the experience. They could begin by walking past the school and talking about what it would be like to go there. The next time, they
I’ve known Greg since he was a stocky third-grader with brown hair cut in bangs across his forehead. He was a cheerful, outgoing, talkative kid who had an unfailingly positive attitude despite the fact that he lost or forgot almost everything—coat, homework, library books, soccer shoes. He was always the child who didn’t have a pencil, who hadn’t read the
Recently I asked one of my young patients, “So how many days til the end of school? “Fourteen and a half,” he said instantly. Many of the kids I treat really do count the days. The effort to produce academically when there’s a difficulty with learning or regulating behavior can push children to the limit. The relief of being
My job has many parts. Some things I have to do, some I look forward to, but seeing my young patients—that’s like dessert. Or it’s like falling in love: completely wholehearted. A little girl comes in and everything about her—her bravery or her fear, her sweetness and patience or the anger and frustration she feels because of the learning problems she’s