How to make a child focused??

[ud1971]

Hi there,
My child is a ten year old boy. He could be described as a boy having qualities like:
• sharp featured
• very bright
• hyperactive
• emotional
• forgetful (in every manor)
• careless,
• possessive
• always (means always) fighting with her small sister  
He is in grade five and has been a reasonably good in his steadies till last year.
For the last one year he seems to be not at all interested in steadies in spite of scoring very bad marks in his term exams.
We, as parents, never pressurize or tell him to obtain a certain percentage but to give his 100% efforts. But he is getting more and more defocused. We ask him if he is interested in some other activities like music, sports, fine arts etc. He probably mentions something out of the mentioned ones but that clearly says that he is choosing the option just to escape from studies.
What we’ve felt as parents that he doesn’t want to work hard in any field. He himself joined tennis and now he doesn’t want to go because of the exercise part before the game like running, skipping etc.
Same as the guitar and singing class and painting and cricket and so on and on.
Any Help????  

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

A reasonable way to proceed is to arrange an evaluation for your son with a pediatric mental health professional. On eof the things to rule out is Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Diisorder. This condition, depending on the particular manifestation, can result in hyperactivity, distractibility and inattention, along with impulsivity. It can also result in deficits in what is called working memory, the ability to hold information in the mind for brief periods, use and manipulate the information to solve problems, etc. ADHD can be treated with medicine. Also, the working memory problem often seen in children who display ADHD can be addressed by a five-week, in-home, software-based program called Cogmed Working Memory Training. The program has been very successful in helping children, teens and adults to achieve (a) improved ability to sustain attention, (b) improved impulse control and (c) better complex reasoning skills. You can learn more about it at the website Cogmed.com.

[sujatha]

A related discussion, how to make the child focus or concentration to complet the target was started.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

The psychiatris was wise in perceiving that this boy's condition would not be successfully treated with psychostimulant medication alone. Without knowing the rationale behind starting him on Prozac, it's difficult to comment beyond that. Did the psychiatrist think that anxiety is underlying the acting out? Did he think that a depressive disorder is underlying the acting out? Either could be possible. Your son would benefit from a neuropsychological evaluation, and this is an option that should be raised with his psychiatrist, pediatrician and school personnel. He should also be evaluated at school, though perhaps he has already been evaluated, since he has been placed outside the regular school program

[Debbie1953]

My grandson  9 yrs old has been on Concerta 36 for 5 yrs and recently increased to 72 mg for ADHD. His behavior at school is horrible, he is called names ("nasty") at school and throws fits. He will throw things, turn over the desk, hit the teacher, tear up other kids work, step on fingers, runs from the teachers, cries, wets his pants, etc. He always gets sent home from school when he acts out and now is suspended from this school and has to go to an alternative school. A month ago, due to his poor behavior, his child psychiatrist placed him on Ritalin and Prozac, well this has done nothing for him, as a matter of fact I think his episodes have increased. He is well behaved at home and is very loving. He is smart, creative, sweet and kind. His grades are in the low 50s and he is failing 3rd grade. What can be going on with this kid, his mother and I are at the end of our ropes with him. We asked him why he does it and the last answer was "my imaginary friend told me to". We have considered all kinds of things that could be wrong with him, but it all comes back to he doesn't act this way at home, just school. Have any suggestions???

[crywolf1]

hello i have twin boys' that are almost the same I had trouble with all that stuff too and had them evaluated by the school phych. etc. they said they had adhd and wanted them on some meds to help them out? I wasn't going to put them on any kinda drug. we'll this is when they were 8. I went and got an opinion from a professional top in his feild in my area I had to shell out a lot for a diagnosis but they let me make payments x 2. they didn't have adhd or add he told me to look into a l.d. we'll they both have a speech impairement. they both go to a speech therapist at their school 1x a week and are slowly improving. The focus is another factor i guess i'm stuck with this one i just have to make the best of it. the doctor is right about diagnosing him with a professinal. good luck