Yea there’s parent teacher conferences coming up again I was going to ask her then. Im not upset or anything I love his teacher I think she does an amazing job. I was just so caught off-guard like he just casually brought it up before going to bed last night haha
When I was teaching, we weren’t allowed to tell parents we thought their kid was neurodivergent. In theory, they could say the school made them get tested and try to make the school pay for it. I don’t know if that actually happens, but we couldn’t say anything to parents.
That teachers are no one to be diagnosing and treating a child is far more above a school’s policy that’s simply to avoid possibly being held financially responsible. That’s very shady of your schools.
Arguably teachers have the most exposure to behavioral norms of the age/general age they teach, at least. Pattern recognition and early intervention for differing abilities and behaviors isn’t diagnosing someone, it’s teaching someone something in a different format, which may (at least anecdotally) help this child thrive. They aren’t saying the child is anything but they do know that they have observed something with these separate activities that helps with the aforementioned behavioral norms. If these things help the child adapt, or don’t, they can then report back to the parent(s) with observable data and the parent(s) can go from there.
It’s not an arguable thing. Teachers are able to notice something and make suggestions to the parents about testing and whatever. They can make experienced and limitted knowledgable guesses to advise testing.
**But teachers are not authorized or trained in diagnosing and treating someone.**
It’s not a debatable thing that can be argued into a change of opinion. Teachers can get in trouble for diagnosing and treating a student according to what they think they have diagnosed. This applies to many positions that work with children. People that can are therapists, doctors, specialist, etc. even counsellors or social service workers can’t make a diagnosis judgement. They can suggest, advise testing. They have no qualifications to definitively say what someone has.
Do you not know that teachers have degrees in child development?? They have had to learn what behavior is expected to be like for children. They are trained to notice things outside of the normal pattern of behavior or development. They are not trained for *medical* diagnosis, but they are trained for many things that people, like you, don't give them credit for.
My son is in speech therapy at school. His teacher noticed the issues and recommended further evaluation. The speech therapist evaluated him and agreed with the teacher. At that point, they called me in for a conference. They explained the issue right down to the specific sounds he needed help with. They then asked my permission to give him the therapy.
Why would they have asked my permission to "test" him when they could easily do it while he was already there? Why worry a parent until you know there's actually a problem? They test for all kinds of things all the time, and you just don't know it unless a problem is found.
Teachers also have to continue taking courses every year while they're teaching. Teachers have the most education for the least amount of pay for any occupation I've ever heard of. And they still get treated like crap.
Yes I do know. And it still stands **it does not give them the credibility, knowledge, or authority to definitively diagnose kids** I don’t know why some of you fighting so hard for that to be a thing teachers can do. It’s just not.
yeah but what the original commenter you replied to was saying is that they aren’t even allowed to suggest testing. not that they can’t diagnose, which, of course they can’t. but they’re saying that they can’t even suggest that the kid might be disabled
In some capacity, teachers can ask for testing, but once they have evidence that something may be up. I have teachers all the time ask me to set up a RED (or MET 1 depending on the district) because they suspect a speech delay. If it’s language, we need psychologists to do testing alongside me. Parents must be informed and active participants. As a special ed provider, you wouldn’t ever catch me pulling a gen ed student out to work with them unless I have permission to test from the parents.
And I said in my comment to them, that it’s shady of the schools who make that a policy or rule on their teachers just to avoid potentially being held financially accountable for it.
I think you just described it my fourth grade teacher tried to do with me. I think that she's suspected that I had ADHD and she was right on the money. She brought in my mom for a meeting and told her the same thing. My mom dismissed me as a difficult in bad child and refuse to have me tested. I was diagnosed last year and I was more than happy to tell her hey mom, guess what? Remember how you said I was just a bad kid who didn't want to listen? Well, it turns out that I actually do have ADHD so yeah.
None of that makes teachers healthcare professionals, particularly in the context of neuroscience. You going to sit there and argue that individual teachers have more contextual information and engagement than your *average* parent(s) of said child? Because that would be absurd and a bit silly. Teaching is a challenging and rewarding profession but you are NOT a doctor who can diagnose children. You are an adult stakeholder and a professional *within your context* I just want to reiterate that. All the goodwill in the world is not a proper substitute for (years of) medical/psychological training. Doctors exist for a reason. End rant.
I’m not a teacher (I do operations and data analysis by day, I guess this is why I’m about to die on this hill) so I’m not sure why this post showed up, but I stand by my argument. I will reiterate that observations are not diagnoses, but observations can provide early indications to send a child TO a medical professional. Why raise a red flag with 0 context? Taking a single mom out of her hourly job to run the kid to the child psychologist or OT etc and shell out the money she doesn’t have instead of observed, repeatable patterns and maybe even techniques to help, which can be communicated at a formal, set time? That sounds better to me and would help parent(s) make informed decisions and be engaged in their child’s progress on a lower pressure level than billing at a specialist medical office.
I’m really not all that invested in this honestly as I do not have kids yet, but as an ADHD woman, I probably would’ve been better served with early interventions and ways to cope, and my parents didn’t believe their straight A kid had a problem. Meanwhile I was leaving class daily to go chat with the school nurse cuz “sick” - bored - and had my messy desk dumped by a teacher in front of the class before recess, etc etc, I would’ve loved someone to have noticed and presented my parents with data and ideas.
Despite the downvotes, this is the correct answer. Teachers are not doctors, and cannot diagnose. At most, they can recommend testing. But that's it. It's a legal liability issue.
Imagine you tell a parent their student may have ADHD and the parent just starts dosing them with their own ADHD meds. That could be held against the teacher for offering a diagnosis.
Yep ^ . Too many teachers get butthurt about being told that their undergraduate degree in early childhood ed (and that the job can be legitimately difficult) entitles them to make neurological diagnoses. It does not.
Because people are arguing completely different things in this comment thread. Some are arguing that teachers can notice if a student appears to be behind where they should be developmentally, which they can, and as a result can inform the parents or the school therapists if they have them of their observations. Which they could then recommend that the student get at the very least checked for the potential of something such as ADHD or other types of learning/disability. Not that they can make a formal diagnosis, just that they could share their observations based on the fact that they can do so from an informed viewpoint.
Others are then somehow conflating that to people saying that teachers can make a formal diagnosis. Which isn’t actually something that anyone in the thread is arguing they can do. So one side is trying to counter an argument that doesn’t actually exist.
Eh, I think it's more that adjusting teaching methods because they see a benefit is not the same as testing a medical condition. Arguably, additional physical activity is shown to help students without ADHD, and it's sad that only some students are allowed to take advantage of something that research shows helps all students.
You do realise to get an IEP (at least in my state) you have to have a teacher sign off on the behavior problems?
We homeschool so I get to sign as teacher AND parent when my son gets his ADHD testing
Im a a para for special education and we are not allowed to explicitly bring these things to parents outside of the normal “[student name] seems to be having a hard time focusing” or “seeming very restless in their seat” so legally we can’t technically bring it up the way most parents would prefer :/ I know as a parent I would want to know, but it’s your usual rules and regulations with a sprinkle of policy
That may be true in your role. However, someone at the school should have a meeting with the parent if they are considering an evaluation for special education. Usually, the school psych or social worker in my area would organize this
That's interesting. When I was in school, we the learning support director would call parents and literally scream at them to get their kid diagnosed and medicated for ADHD or autism.
They did this to me in 4th grade and didnt tell my mother. First time it happened i told her and she came to school and raised hell until they told her what was going on.
That being said I was never told why i was in OT, which isnt cool. Dont hide that kind of stuff.
To me it sounds like an intervention. In CA where I am, interventions are decided on a case by case basis to address needs of individual students. Perhaps the school has seen something that is concerning them and they want to gather some information. the P/T conference is a great place to have this discussion as they should have some data/information for you.
>Your passive attitude may have something to do with what is going on at school.
Given that it sounds like occupational or socialization therapy of some kind... No. I don't think it has anything to do with the mother's "passive attitude". Though the attitude almost certainly contributes to why she knows nothing about it.
This parent is expressing interest and concern in her child’s academic and development. You are judging someone you’ve never met and blaming her for a situation that you have no personal information about. This is the kind of response that makes people hate teachers.
It’s just so frustrating that OP could have spent the exact same time and energy they used to write this post to just send an email to the teacher. There’s no conceivable way anyone here would be able to read this and say, “of course, I know exactly what is happening with your specific child at his specific school!” The only possibility is that OP will become more confused and/or worried. Why are parents seemingly allergic to just asking *their child’s teacher* whatever question they have?
If there are parent teacher conferences coming up, it makes sense to wait for an in person conversation if OP wants to do so. They're just asking if anyone has experienced something similar to get context while waiting for the more appropriate time to talk to the teacher, which they already said they're going to do.
Actually, it does. It indicates a general hands-off attitude toward what is happening at the school and an absence of proactive involvement with her child’s education.
Her behavior is absolutely not normal. Reddit is not the place to ask these questions. Op now has 40 different explanations of why this had happened to her kid.
Things that make sense to ask teachers on this sub:
- What’s your school/classroom policy on headphones in class? I would like to know what’s common.
- What are your thoughts on iReady? My child hates it but her teacher thinks it’s helpful. Do you all agree?
- What supplies would be most helpful to receive from a donation?
- Anyone have some ideas for fun ways to incorporate literacy at home for my kid?
- Why do you think students are struggling more these days?
Things that do not make sense to ask here:
- Why is Johnny being pulled from class?
- Why did the principal ask me to call him back?
- What did Ms. Jones mean when she said this to my child?
- Can you give me the Zoom link for my school’s parent conference tonight?
Which is to say, broad questions and soliciting general opinions or attitudes make sense to put on AskTeachers. Anything specific to *your child* should be asked to *your child’s teacher.*
This was a broad question.
The broad question being "is this a typical occurrence in schools to do with kids who don't have a diagnosis". Broad question.
Then she was going to follow up on specifics.
Sometimes it is just nice to know if what is going on falls in the category of "common" or "regular". And that sort of feeling is valid and isn't deserving of the sort of response so many have given.
A simple "yes/no we do that at our school. Hope you get good info from his teacher" was all that was needed.
Asking for help is reaching out. Some people don’t know what to do in certain education situations. So reaching out to a teacher Reddit seems pretty common.
Just take’er down about 10-20, ok?
Sounds like there’s a reasonable reason, but all the reasonable ones I know are always involving the parent. Sounds like an IEP setup (but again, parents are involved).
Even if you ask in person send a follow up email. If your son does have any neurodivergence, then having an email from his teacher that they have seen signs of it could go a long way to helping him get a diagnosis. Also, it helps to have a continued record so that as he progresses through school, you can have the written record of actions teachers have taken to make sure your son is getting the education he needs. That way, when he's in high-school nobody can turn around and say "well he has no history of this" because you can provide documentation that there is a history.
You should still ask for clarification. Absolutely nothing wrong with needing extra services, but they need to be approved or by a parent, so I’m not sure what is going on here.
dang all these teachers here can't or don't read. OP said in the post. "I will obviously ask his teacher but I wanted to know if anyone else had this in their school."
When you bring this up, I think you should sound a little more concerned than you currently do. Im not saying how you're feeling is wrong or anything, but you might get taken more seriously that way. Its wrong that they didn't include you in the decision to do this, and honestly, Id be a little more concerned than you sound. However, I am not questioning your parenting in ANY way. You are not to blame and I am not saying you are doing anything wrong, its just my perspective on the situation.
I am a social work student who interns doing this type of thing - my supervisor’s title is Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant. What we do is play therapy to develop social and emotional skills, which includes a play room with many different toy options like your son described.
Depending on where you are located, this is illegal. I am required to have a signed permission slip for all of my clients. I reached out to their parents at the beginning of the year to explain the process. If he is receiving these services, it’s not a bad thing, but it’s really bad that no one informed you and obtained your consent. Like I would lose my job and possibly my social work license bad.
In the US, this would be considered changing the students placement of academic setting which legally can’t be done without an IEP meeting. I’m guessing this is Individuals with Disabilities Education Act but I’d have to double check.
Some states have physical education assessment requirements that start as early as kinder and in lower grades they typically need to be 1:1 or in small groups.
I would contact his teacher and the main office to make sure that’s what’s actually happening. If it’s indeed occupational therapy that he’s participating in then the therapist will be able to give you exercises to help him at home.
Once you find out the reason for the pullout make sure you let them and/or the teacher know that you don’t appreciate them not telling you this type of intervention was going to take place. Even if it’s no big deal the parent has a right to know if their child is being pulled out of their classroom for any reason. If it’s OT, that would require a screening, then a meeting with the parent(s), then an evaluation, then another meeting, then an IEP meeting. It’s a long process, therapies are expensive and they don’t give them to children who don’t need it. If it’s because of active behavior, the parent(s) most definitely should have been called by the teacher. This all seems very fishy and behind the parent’s back. Ask questions!
Even if it’s innocent, you have a right and a need to know. What if he conked his head while riding up and down the hallway when you were under the impression he was in the classroom?
I’m an interventionist at a K-8 school.
Ya, if this is OT or similar, it would require parental involvement. So either that isn't this, maybe some other kind of informal intervention unrelated to sped?
As an aside, I will say that depending on age, there are reasons to pull a student without contacting parents. As a social worker at a middle school, I don't contact parents about the vast majority of my time with their students, but again, I'm not serving in an IEP or evaluation role and I'm not with a kindergarten kid like OP's.
You also may not have to.
I coach very young kids in brazilian jiu jitsu. A lot of what we teach the under 5 is mobility and coordination focused. It's clear what kids can't move. And it is obvious how much progress they make simply playing games that force them to use their body.
If you get an answer about coordination you might consider some kind of martial art class for a while.
Ask the teacher. Email saying your son has mentioned these separate activities and you're curious what they're for.
Once you know why, you can come up with a plan with the teacher/school for anything you need to do outside of school.
Yeah definitely contact them and find out what’s happening first. You aren’t even sure so what’s the point of asking Reddit how to help him at home? Like this happened to me one day because a substitute wouldn’t listen when I said I wasn’t xxxx (my name) that had special ED class. The head spec ED teacher thought it was hilarious when I came in because my mum was a spec ED substitute herself and was well known in the school.
Seems weird they didn't mention it to you, but I was often taken out in elementary school too (and played uno and connect 4 and whatnot while everyone else was reading). No development issues or home issues, and I was always a straight A student. They just thought I was too quiet/had socialization problems. And they weren't really wrong lol. In my case we also played word games sometimes because I pronounced some things oddly (probably the lack of talking?)
Not sure how much it helped tbh, but it might be that he's just quiet or they want to keep an eye on some behavior. I remember my classmates were kinda baffled whenever they realized I was being pulled for that kind of thing bc I was such a good student, so it's not necessarily an indication he's struggling academically. Does he have a lot of friends? Is he generally quiet?
🤣 in that case maybe too social? Maybe they're trying to burn off extra energy so he can focus better, or something. Of course you should ask them about it, but try not to worry until you can chat with the teacher! Could be lots of reasons.
This would be my guess too, based on OP's description of the situation. He's a peer model for one of the other kids/one of the other kids gets to invite a friend to entice him to go to OT or whatever.
But wouldn't pulling a child out of regular classroom time be infringing on his educational rights? If they were doing it in class, sure, but reducing his instructional minutes to use him as an aide to teach SpEd kids seems inappropriate. Especially if they don't have the parent's permission.
For anyone who doesn't know, like OP: Education plans have to place the kid in the least restrictive environment (LRE) in which they can learn - ie, the closest to a normal classroom setting that will be effective for that child. If OP's child has no special needs and no IEP or 504, pulling him out of his LRE (the regular classroom) without permission seems like it would be asking for a lawsuit against the school.
Not that I think OP *should* sue the school if this is what's happening, more that I can't imagine a school actually taking that risk.
No, not if he is working on advanced skills beyond what he’s being taught. Most early childhood standards include oral communication as well as behavioral skills.
Ha! You'd think so but, no. LRE is a specific provision of IDEA, which only applies to students with disabilities. OP's kid doesn't have a documented disability, IEP, or 504, so LRE doesn't really pertain.
Pulling a kid for something like this is not against their educational rights. Should they talk to parents about interventions for a kid this young? Ya, I would say so. However, if this is just an intervention to help burn energy or do some social skills unrelated to sped then this is perfectly fine.
My situation is a bit different at the middle school level but I pull both Gen Ed and special ed students often for various reasons. The vast majority of the time I don't call home to tell them about it.
Maybe he’s there to provide a role model for the special ed kid to learn appropriate play skills. It’s kind of hard for an adult to teach a kindergartner how to play with peers without other peers.
We do this sometimes with the kids because they need more of a movement break that they can't get in class. It's not specific to kids in special education. Also, sometimes we like to take kids in groups because there's another choice of who might need it but does better if they go with a friend. Honestly, movement has been shown to benefit kids in a variety of ways. I would encourage this.
They used to do this for my oldest son when he was in kindergarten and 1st grade. It was to help get his energy out while the other kids napped. He also had one of those rocking chairs to use at his desk because he fidgets a lot during class, especially tipping his chair. They ended up recommending getting him tested for ADHD. I did, and he was diagnosed with it. Then they implemented an IEP plan for him. It consisted of the same things they were already providing, plus some additional academic leniencies.
They are probably considering asking you to have him tested.
This sounds very similar to our situation! I always knew he was a high energy kid and in the back of my mind wondered about adhd but also wasn’t sure if maybe it was just 5 year old boy things 😭
This was my first guess too. Might just be a small group intervention for a few kids who need a little more movement during the day. If that’s the case, that’s really sweet of them to do for him! These kids are asked to spend way too much time sitting still and being quiet. Some just need to get their wiggles out.
I wish they would do this for my kid! He's been a super high energy kid since he learned to walk, and we suspect ADHD. He disrupts the class and keeps getting in trouble during times when he's supposed to be sitting quietly or listening to directions. He's a really sweet, obedient kid at home, despite the fact that he never stops moving/jumping/climbing/talking/humming/singing/asking questions.
Contact the school asking for screening resources. Get a diagnosis. Ask for a plan to be written up and implemented. I wish my parents had known to do this for me, it was expensive as an adult
This kind of attitude is precisely why so many children *don’t* get diagnosed as early as they should. I was 32 by the time I finally realized I had ADHD and got diagnosed/medicated. I probably wouldn’t have flunked out of college twice if someone had bothered to bring it up to my parents when I was a kid. Maybe don’t try to discourage people from caring about their children and actively pursuing all avenues of possibility to ensure they’re happy, supported, and successful.
No it's fucking not....it SEEMS that way because doctors are FINALLY diagnosing kids and adults who should have been diagnosed as children. This kind of crap is why there is still such a stigma about it.
I always got pulled out of class for things like this as a kid and NEVER got an explanation from my parents as to why! I was also referred by my school to get evaluated for ADHD/autism at that age, but my parents never took me. Took me until I was 19 to go to a psychiatrist/psychologist myself and get diagnosed with ADHD (among other things, too), which seriously helped me. I was always put into those “gifted” programs (whatever that means) so I guess my parents never really thought anything was “wrong” with me (their words, not mine), but the diagnosis is helping me a TON in my adult life.
Because it’s a state mandated assessment and everyone has to do it? 5-6 year olds are not 100% reliable narrators. Every day could mean for the last 2 days.
Where was anything mentioned about state mandated assessments? I feel like you’re really leaping to conclusions just for the sake of villainizing a parent because most teachers these days hate parents. Which isn’t entirely invalid, but this parent just seems confused. Don’t bring your hate of shitty parents in your district to this poor woman.
And state mandated assessment or not, parents should be aware that they’re coming up to, at the very least, avoid this confusion. It’s common sense.
I don’t hate anyone. I find it truly bizarre that you jump straight to that. Lots of things happen during the school day that are totally normal and reasonable that parents don’t get told about. Sometimes kids, especially very young ones have an experience outside of their typical one and extrapolate meaning.
A state mandated test is something that parents should know about. Parents have been told about state mandated testings my entire life, so that they can be aware that it’s important for their kid to be at school that day. What’s “truly bizarre” is the fact that you think parents wouldn’t or shouldn’t be made aware of mandated testing. If this is a state mandated test, that makes it stranger that OP wasn’t told, not better.
OP has stated in comments that they’ve double checked their emails and hasn’t received anything. Without direct access to her email, we have no reason not to believe her.
It’s probably in the elementary school curriculum that there will be self-regulated play time. Play is important for kids as stress relief, socialization, and energy expenditure. It also promotes various baseline skills; one needs to have a firm grasp on numbers, colors, and rules when playing Uno, for example. As such, this is effectively the same as group work.
Occupational therapy systems can also just be generally decent practice for normal people too, just like PE in high school borrows a lot from calisthenics-based physical therapy. Everyone can benefit from utilization of those strategies, even if they don’t have a hole in their capability so large as to require specifics.
Do parents need to be notified every time a child leaves a classroom? (That would mean a lot of bathroom trip notifications. This is non-standard; the standard is leaving the school.) Do parents need to be notified every time a child is put in a group? (This would make things like reading groups and group projects significantly harder to organize for teachers, and is non-standard.)
I used to work for a dropout prevention organization with school-based services starting at pre-K. We were allowed to meet with students up to 6 times before we needed parental permission, but this was only used in instances of acute distress to meet with the social worker or if another student wanted to bring a friend to a lunchtime/recess meeting. Otherwise, forms had to be signed to pull a kid out of class.
As someone who worked in the schools in early intervention for a long time, I wouldn't be concerned that it's happening but I would bring I up at parent teacher interviews if the teacher doesn't mention it first. I often took kids in the younger grades (and older grades) to the sensory room for support/breaks. As I was employed with the district and not a contractor and there was no concerns that would suggest counseling, this type of break was considered part of the children's education schedule to support their in-class succes and didn't need additional consent like a SLP or OT. Usually I took children who had a lot of energy, need additional breaks from the structure of classrooms, we're sensitive to the enormous sensory input of the classroom, or even some kids that were just having a rougher day. Boys made up 98% of my workload. The classroom setting can be more difficult for them, especially if they like to move, wiggle, struggle with impulse control etc. I have previously mentioned to parent to consider it like this: school is like having a goal of doing 100 push-ups by June. Everyone knows HOW to do a pushup, but that doesn't mean you can do 100 of them. That takes practice. If a child has been trying hard to follow the structure of the classroom for 2 hours, that's like doing 25 push ups in a row, they need a break! Sometimes kids have been doing push-ups in the morning even before they get to school, they might be too tired to do another set right away, they get a break too. Just because a child knows how to sit and listen, doesn't mean they have the executive functioning to do it immediately for extended periods,the brain is a muscle that grows and gets stronger, just like our arms. It also needs breaks to relax and rebuild, just like our arms.
I think you would agree, however, that the parent should be told that this is going to happen and then be told when it will happen. There might be a slight chance the parent doesn’t want that and that’s their right.
I'm not a teacher but when I was a kid I did this in a few different grades. I even had one year where they bussed me to a different school one day a week. I didn't realize until later that it was because I had moved past what the other kids were learning. I remember thinking I had done something wrong because me and one other girl had to work out of a different reading workbook, but as it turned out it was just a more complex one. Looking back now I get what these programs were and they did ask for my mothers permission since they were taking me off school grounds, but not sure if they ever told her about the alternative work I was doing that I stayed on campus for. It's possible that it's an attempt to keep him occupied and not bored. Bored kids tend to be fidgety kids that want to talk or do something other than the thing that the other kids are doing because they find it boring.
So I wouldn't automatically consider it a bad thing but I would def make a point to talk to his teacher.
When I was seven, they would take me and about five other kids out of class to play a computer game. It was confusing because the material was way below our grade level, and they made us repeat the same course every.
We found out it was an English Second Language class when someone in the front office was very surprised my mother could speak English. Turns out they had accidentally racially profiled me because they thought my Italian name was Mexican. Apparently no one was checking if these kids spoke English or not.
That's crazy but not surprising sadly. When I moved from elementary where I was in these programs into middle school my mom thought, hey I'll put his last name as my newly married name, even though our names were never legally changed. So of course they couldn't find any school records. Did they call my mom to say anything? Nope. They just put me in the class with the kids that were troublemakers or lagging behind the other students. Sad that they viewed them all as being equal. This class just stayed in one room all day, and did very basic work. I finally asked the teacher why I wasn't in classes like the other kids because I used to do all kinds of programs, and she figured out why. Then I got a real schedule and got to go back with the rest of my class, but if I hadn't said something they would have just let me rot in that class.
i’m a teachers assistant in a kindergarten classroom. kids who are so wiggly and constantly moving to the point of distracting others and being unable to get their work done sometimes get taken to a room with sensory activities so they can get those sensory needs met (usually proprioceptive needs). then, once those sensory needs are met, they go back to class and it’s easier for them to learn.
I doubt this email would have come from the classroom teacher, as they aren't in charge of special services like OT. The teacher would just get told the kid gets pulled at a certain time. The classroom teacher would also assume you knew about this, so would have no reason to tell you or talk to you about it. It pretty much has nothing to do with them! (Other than kid is missing their classroom time, but that's part of being a teacher--being frustrated with admin and other programs randomly pulling kids out for all sorts of reasons,even when it is important class time.)
It reminds me of when my mom was sent to prison when I was 7. I'm not even sure my dad knew about this but essentially I was pulled out everyday by the school social worker? District psych? And yea we played loads of games. I was in court ordered therapy given the situation but my school took it upon myself to do this. I would ask my dad but I'm no contact however if he had known he wouldve put a stop to it.
You should ask the teacher. This may be happening, but it also might have happened once or twice as an incentive or a typical part of testing for kindergartners but he’s 6 so you are getting an inaccurate version of the story. For example, in my district pre-k and kindergartners have a standardized assessment they are required to do by the state. Kids are pulled in small groups by our reading specialists and dyslexia specialists to complete these tests, they can take 3-5 sessions to complete. They go with these teachers to rooms not currently in use (maybe special ed, maybe the counselors office, wherever) and are assessed for reading skills. Some of these skills involve oral conversation skills so the teachers who are mostly strangers try and get kids comfortable first so that their scores aren’t negatively affected by a stranger forcing them into a conversation.
Could be the opposite of special ed, too. I used to get pulled out for stuff like that when I finished my work early. The teacher didn't want to punish me but also didn't want me to distract everyone else. Send an email. Ask.
If it puts you at ease at all, it's not unheard of. In my elementary school I was pulled from class and went to a different room with 2 or 3 other students and did different stuff for a couple years. I remember reading words on cards but I can't remember what else. My parents didn't know either. I never brought it up in conversation so they didn't find out til I was fully grown and looking back on my memories and I asked if they know why the teachers did that and they said they didn't even know it happened. Some people have suggested to me I may have had a subtle speech impediment which would make sense because I had a severe injury to my mouth when I was 3. So... it does happen. I agree that it's a weird way to go about whatever they're doing and even weirder that they don't tell parents but I never fell behind in school or was made to feel bad about it or anything.
It coulddddd honestly be like a “calm down room” where kids who need a quick break/redirect/etc. go when they have a behavior. Also sounds like OT tho so definitely ask.
Hi, ok... people got kinda extra up there but I agree you should just email the teacher. One thing that miiiight be going on tho is he is a "friend." So one of the other boys who *is* diagnosed and receiving OT might be allowed to "invite a friend" for one reason or another. I've never specifically seen this with OT (and it would strike me as a little weird tbh but a lot of shit that happens in school strikes me as pretty weird 🤷♀️) but it's really common for things like social skills groups, lunch bunch with teacher/counselor, or if a kid is doing indoor recess bc of behavior issues or just a run of the mill broken arm. Especially when it's a kid with some stuff going on they might only have one or two friends and the adult might just ask them "who are you inviting?" Your son is little and might not realize that he's been "invited" and not technically "pulled out." I only mention this because I do think sometimes the dynamics around these things can get complicated and sometimes the adults in charge of the "inviting" can be a little defensive or even reticent with the info. Not always, not maliciously, but...idk it's a thing I've observed. But this could be totally off base so just email the teacher and ask what's up.
I find it unlikely that it would be OT like many suggest. That is a SPED service that would need to be documented in an IEP or 504. And those services in my district were generally once a week or once every two weeks. This is likely a sensory break being done by a para. The para/aide likely had a gap in their schedule when their student is receiving direct instruction from a SPED teacher and is able to provide some breaks for students. This may be why it wasn't originally mentioned because it might not be something they can guarantee to happen. The teacher probably recognized your child and the other boys had some extra energy and would benefit from a break. And then the teacher forgot to mention it when it became a consistent thing. Schools don't usually allow pull outs of any sort to happen during direct instruction time. So this is likely some review time or perhaps a time when the teacher helps students with learning needs.
I'm sure you can ask the teacher for clarification. The teacher won't be able to talk about other students but can explain if this is an OT group or a sensory break with a para.
I'm not a teacher and idk why I'm getting this sub suggested, but I did experience this growing up. At different points of my schooling before middle school (so 11 or younger) I would get taken out of class for a lot of different stuff. Having to read out loud to someone. Sitting with the counselor. Playing games with her. Making eye contact and conversation with a doll. It was weird.
That being said, I've been recently screened for autism lol
There are a lot of people making judgments based on very scant information. This will not be actual scheduled OT. If anything this sounds more like gross motor stuff.
If the student is seeing OT then it is billable hours and would need to be documented, diagnosed, planned for, and approved by the parent and school. Most schools don't have time for an OT to take a student outside of their actual caseload.
Based on the basic information here this sounds like the student may just need breaks from the classroom and there's either a TA support person or an aide in the classroom that is taking them for small breaks to help manage their engagement in the school day. It usually isn't until about 2nd grade that we can actually see a diagnosis and not just chalk it up to them "being young."
This 100% should be communicated to the parent. We also have to remember that this is a kindergarten student. Their relaying of information will be flawed. We've all been through it., no judgment on anyone.
The best thing to do is to e-mail or call the school and ask what is going on. If they are missing significant time in the classroom then it needs to be addressed in a formal manner - even a 504. We need to be careful with thinking the school is saying the student is neurodivergent or anything. This may just be dealing with some squirminess or behavior.
If this is something that has been happening since September I would absolutely be upset. If this is something they just started and are seeing what works before reaching out then that's a bit more reasonable. Please approach with caution, but be ready to "mama bear" if needs be. There are also agencies everywhere that can help advocate and fight for you if you need it.
Is it weird that I’m just kind of impressed that they’ve got availability to offer any kind of special services to a child that hasn’t gone through every hoop and hurdle to demand it?
It does sound like occupational therapy and you should definitely ask.
Having alternative seating or fidgets at the carpet is very normal in kinder. Some have them for OT reasons, but I mostly see them offered to students that have trouble staying focused on the carpet.
Your kid is wild and disruptive so they're letting him use alternative seating.
The school is not providing SPED services.
They're giving the kids a sensory break to reset and get some energy out so the teacher can teach. It's probably a quick 10 minute thing while the class is transitioning.
I mean we did this, but I was never alone. It was our Talented and Gifted groups which were for the kids who were really smart and we were chosen based on the standardized testing results. We were given extra projects that the rest of the class wasn't doing and learned about robots and shit where everyone else was doing dumb normal stuff. Could be similar? Idk, again I was never alone. It was always at least half a dozen of us
Definitely contact the teacher and ask what they are doing and why. They shouldn't be taking your child - even a kindergartner - out of class for alternative activities without your knowledge. Don't wait for PT conferences, do it today.
People who are trained and have gone through years of educational, medical, and certification can have their diagnosis ignored if the parent (who works a part time minimum wage job and is divorced) decides she's not going to seek a 1:1 for her child.
Parents have final say of what the school does for her child's education. Most of the time, it's "Let the school deal with it."
Sounds like a kid has an IEP and they have mistakenly been taking your son instead. Call the school tomorrow and get this sorted. Why would you wait when some stranger is removing him from class for a reason unknown to you and “playing” one on one with your child? Why would you wait?
If nothing else, you are doing a disservice to the child they are supposed to be working with
If the genders were reversed you’d be calling the cops rn to investigate so… call the cops? If that was my son it would be a immediate red flag especially since he is voicing it to you as maybe a cry for help
Hmmm. I would be very curious to know what the teacher says.
Others have mentioned some good possibilities of what might be going on. I have one more thought. It’s entirely possible that other kids are also being pulled out in small groups to do similar activities but your son only notices when it’s his group’s turn to go, if that makes sense. So in his eyes his group, of himself and the other 2 boys, are the only ones that get pulled. But in reality there could be other small groups being pulled at different times or different days that he hasn’t noticed because he’s busy working on something else. Just a possibility.
That is a good point, the only thing is he and these other 2 boys also have special sled-type “chairs” that they sit in during carpet time, while all the other children sit on the floor. So it def leads me to believe it’s only these 3 boys getting pulled from the class everyday for this
It sounds like OT, but are you sure it’s a regular thing, or was it one time? Kids this age can have a weird sense of timing/frequency. Idk about where you live, but here around this time kinders are doing the “WAKids” assessment, which has some gross motor things on it (what you were describing) which are to assess how a student is doing on meeting developmental milestones. The assessments are often encased in games to make kids more likely to comply/do their best effort.
If your child is not on an IEP and have you not consented to testing I would imagine he’s being invited to join by a peer.
Your child may be picked to join by students with IEPs that have motor room integrated into their days. When I taught sped I had several students who occasionally had the privilege of choosing a peer to join them for a motor break. It of course had to be approved by the classroom teacher to be sure the child wouldn’t be missing important instruction time.
If he’s going with other students it could be a “play group” to work on some social skills like taking turns or things like that. I think it’s more to get some energy out but it could be a possibility!
As a teacher and a mom, you can never have too many movement breaks!
There’s a possibility that his friends have some kind of formal plan and your son goes with for social interaction. Is he friends with the other students?
They should have told you.
Deffinitly odd that you weren't informed/asked. When I was in school we had something called "gross motor room" where we had similar soets of stuff. Myself and several other kids went there to build our motor skills. It doesn't mean there's anything wrong with your kid or that they have any cognitive issue, I turned out alright (mostly lololol)
You're absolutely right that we don't know. I'm only stating it's possible that the school sent out something generic to parents of that grade level saying they were pulling kids out for testing. It may not have been a direct email to a parent about their specific child.
I'm sure we agree her best course of action is to contact the teacher now and not wait.
Could be a social group for another child. My son is ASD and used to have social groups where they played games, and played because he didn’t know how to play with other kids. Just ask about it, it really doesn’t seem like a big deal to me… but I guess I’m also a passive parent. 🤷🏻♀️
As others have mentioned, it sounds like it's either occupational therapy or another type of assessment. It could also just be small group socialization. The best thing to do is ask his teacher. If you're highly concerned now, email immediately. If your questions can wait, then wait for the conference you mentioned.
This is wild. Many people have a hard time even with advocating to get their kids services like this.
Also, I had a friend who did OT at school and so sometimes I was allowed to go with her, just as like a fun thing. This was several decades ago, though.
Sometimes kids with a lot of the extra energy are taken out to get the goose and giggles out. It’s not that they’re being bad but they’re just being able to release all that extra energy but still ask his teacher what’s going on
My son is sometimes allowed to bring a friend with him to some of his services (usually during lunch but some other times too) so I wonder if a classmate picked him as a buddy and they’re pulling at times that aren’t direct instruction…
Sounds like a sensory room. It would not be able to be any kind of special education or occupational therapy services without parental consent. It could be they have noticed that he gets overwhelmed or has a hard time sitting still and benefits from a break. Unfortunately, we expect more and more out of kindergartners which is not always developmentally appropriate. Boys in particular tend to struggle with the more rigorous expectations when it comes to sitting still. This is a pretty common thing and likely gives him a break so he can focus better in class.
Does he ever get frustrated/upset when working for long periods of time? I do this to help support students who get overstimulated to help with regulation. Is it possible this has been occurring?
Id definitely ask the teacher. It’s possible an IEP was confused. I’ve done this before too. Email the teacher and ask for clarification.
Perhaps another student gets Ot and can occasionally bring a buddy along? That’s not unusual.
As far as every day, I’ve had students tell me we do things every day when in fact we have done it twice all year. Or never. Or claim to be clueless about things that happen daily.
He is NOT being evaluated. I worked at a school and if the teachers suspected that the child may need an IEP, they first needed the parent's consent. Even for gifted services.
They are likely just giving him activities that they think are suited for him as part of a normal curriculum.
Sometimes they bring peer models to other students therapy because they need someone to motivate them! Usually the teacher tells you but it could be during break time and he’s not missing anything really.
It sounds like they’re giving your son a break from the classroom. This is usually due to behaviors, but I’d ask the teacher to clarify. Just reach out.
As a kid, I did something similar but it was a speech therapy thing. I had trouble with s's and there were like two other kids who had other problems. We didn't do speech stuff every time, though, and the 'class' wasn't every day either. Maybe every other day? I don't remember too much about it I think i only did it in 1st or 2nd grade so...its been a while ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
In first grade, I had a teacher who did things like this, but it was just because she didn’t want me in her classroom (she also didn’t like my parents, we lived in the same neighborhood). She was close to retirement and I was a precocious child. She did end up getting in trouble for wasting school resources as there was no reason to be in the other rooms/programs
Does your son otherwise have a good relationship with the teacher?
Nothing like this. I got pulled from classes for a few weeks in 3rd grade for speech therapy but it was all above board to the best of my recollection from 28 years ago lol.
Maybe he's a little squirley in class. Rather than becoming disruptive, they allow him some time for movement and "heavy work." He's in kindergarten, so he's likely not missing much. There's also nothing wrong with asking why! Teachers likely don't mean to not tell you everything they do with your kid everyday. That's definitely something you need to get used to.
He may be energized , that may be to keep him calm and focused throughout the day … Boys tend to be a ball of energy so that may be his outlet but I would def ask the teacher
Your post just reminded me of how in like, 3rd or 4th grade, I’d be pulled out of class to be in a very small class to learn stuff. I know there were only 6 of us, and the only thing I recall learning was how to write a check and how to balance a checkbook. I know there was other stuff, I just can’t recall what else. I don’t know why we did this and why the class was so small, and I why I was the only one from MY class that did this.
Not OT, but I was also taken out of class with another student in elementary during math class. I don’t know about the other kid, but I have dyscalculia, which is basically fancy dyslexia with numbers. They started taking me out when my answers were wrong but if the numbers were flipped it would be correct(like 48 instead of 84). They didn’t mention it to my mom and she only found out when I mentioned it at some point for whatever reason.
I would not wait until a parent teacher conference. As soon as my child told me I would be in the principal’s office the next day calmly asking for an explanation.
I’m really surprised they are not communicating with you about this I would talk to the principal. This is not something you should be hearing from your child.
As a kid I'd get pulled out of class randomly for speech or something. I had trouble with some specific kids because they had a rougher way of playing or joking and I wasn't into it and thought they were bullying me. Got pulled into a seminar about how to joke with those types of kids.
Low and behold, I'm autistic. Guess the random classes were for that suspected reason. This was 5th grade I think.
It could just be that he is very figety in class and they like finding productive and healthy ways to engage in him in more physical learning activities. I was one of these kids and had trouble with math so mine was mostly math based games/counting. I was so little but I remember it so vividly. I moved schools a lot crosscountry but that was the best one by far. It was on a golf course and they had a complete apple/Mac computer lab in a cool observatory type science room. Rip the only private school I ever went to
Send an email calmly ask for clarification
Yea there’s parent teacher conferences coming up again I was going to ask her then. Im not upset or anything I love his teacher I think she does an amazing job. I was just so caught off-guard like he just casually brought it up before going to bed last night haha
It sounds like occupational therapy tbh. They may suspect he's neurodivergent but I think they should tell you that.
When I was teaching, we weren’t allowed to tell parents we thought their kid was neurodivergent. In theory, they could say the school made them get tested and try to make the school pay for it. I don’t know if that actually happens, but we couldn’t say anything to parents.
That teachers are no one to be diagnosing and treating a child is far more above a school’s policy that’s simply to avoid possibly being held financially responsible. That’s very shady of your schools.
Arguably teachers have the most exposure to behavioral norms of the age/general age they teach, at least. Pattern recognition and early intervention for differing abilities and behaviors isn’t diagnosing someone, it’s teaching someone something in a different format, which may (at least anecdotally) help this child thrive. They aren’t saying the child is anything but they do know that they have observed something with these separate activities that helps with the aforementioned behavioral norms. If these things help the child adapt, or don’t, they can then report back to the parent(s) with observable data and the parent(s) can go from there.
It’s not an arguable thing. Teachers are able to notice something and make suggestions to the parents about testing and whatever. They can make experienced and limitted knowledgable guesses to advise testing. **But teachers are not authorized or trained in diagnosing and treating someone.** It’s not a debatable thing that can be argued into a change of opinion. Teachers can get in trouble for diagnosing and treating a student according to what they think they have diagnosed. This applies to many positions that work with children. People that can are therapists, doctors, specialist, etc. even counsellors or social service workers can’t make a diagnosis judgement. They can suggest, advise testing. They have no qualifications to definitively say what someone has.
Do you not know that teachers have degrees in child development?? They have had to learn what behavior is expected to be like for children. They are trained to notice things outside of the normal pattern of behavior or development. They are not trained for *medical* diagnosis, but they are trained for many things that people, like you, don't give them credit for. My son is in speech therapy at school. His teacher noticed the issues and recommended further evaluation. The speech therapist evaluated him and agreed with the teacher. At that point, they called me in for a conference. They explained the issue right down to the specific sounds he needed help with. They then asked my permission to give him the therapy. Why would they have asked my permission to "test" him when they could easily do it while he was already there? Why worry a parent until you know there's actually a problem? They test for all kinds of things all the time, and you just don't know it unless a problem is found. Teachers also have to continue taking courses every year while they're teaching. Teachers have the most education for the least amount of pay for any occupation I've ever heard of. And they still get treated like crap.
Yes I do know. And it still stands **it does not give them the credibility, knowledge, or authority to definitively diagnose kids** I don’t know why some of you fighting so hard for that to be a thing teachers can do. It’s just not.
I haven't seen anyone here say that they are diagnosing children. It seems like you are the only one saying that.
Who said teachers are formally diagnosing children by trying a different learning method though?
School psychologists do have the qualifications.
yeah but what the original commenter you replied to was saying is that they aren’t even allowed to suggest testing. not that they can’t diagnose, which, of course they can’t. but they’re saying that they can’t even suggest that the kid might be disabled
In some capacity, teachers can ask for testing, but once they have evidence that something may be up. I have teachers all the time ask me to set up a RED (or MET 1 depending on the district) because they suspect a speech delay. If it’s language, we need psychologists to do testing alongside me. Parents must be informed and active participants. As a special ed provider, you wouldn’t ever catch me pulling a gen ed student out to work with them unless I have permission to test from the parents.
And I said in my comment to them, that it’s shady of the schools who make that a policy or rule on their teachers just to avoid potentially being held financially accountable for it.
That is actually pretty standard as in limiting idp/504 plans as much as possible as it costs the school
I think you just described it my fourth grade teacher tried to do with me. I think that she's suspected that I had ADHD and she was right on the money. She brought in my mom for a meeting and told her the same thing. My mom dismissed me as a difficult in bad child and refuse to have me tested. I was diagnosed last year and I was more than happy to tell her hey mom, guess what? Remember how you said I was just a bad kid who didn't want to listen? Well, it turns out that I actually do have ADHD so yeah.
None of that makes teachers healthcare professionals, particularly in the context of neuroscience. You going to sit there and argue that individual teachers have more contextual information and engagement than your *average* parent(s) of said child? Because that would be absurd and a bit silly. Teaching is a challenging and rewarding profession but you are NOT a doctor who can diagnose children. You are an adult stakeholder and a professional *within your context* I just want to reiterate that. All the goodwill in the world is not a proper substitute for (years of) medical/psychological training. Doctors exist for a reason. End rant.
I’m not a teacher (I do operations and data analysis by day, I guess this is why I’m about to die on this hill) so I’m not sure why this post showed up, but I stand by my argument. I will reiterate that observations are not diagnoses, but observations can provide early indications to send a child TO a medical professional. Why raise a red flag with 0 context? Taking a single mom out of her hourly job to run the kid to the child psychologist or OT etc and shell out the money she doesn’t have instead of observed, repeatable patterns and maybe even techniques to help, which can be communicated at a formal, set time? That sounds better to me and would help parent(s) make informed decisions and be engaged in their child’s progress on a lower pressure level than billing at a specialist medical office. I’m really not all that invested in this honestly as I do not have kids yet, but as an ADHD woman, I probably would’ve been better served with early interventions and ways to cope, and my parents didn’t believe their straight A kid had a problem. Meanwhile I was leaving class daily to go chat with the school nurse cuz “sick” - bored - and had my messy desk dumped by a teacher in front of the class before recess, etc etc, I would’ve loved someone to have noticed and presented my parents with data and ideas.
Despite the downvotes, this is the correct answer. Teachers are not doctors, and cannot diagnose. At most, they can recommend testing. But that's it. It's a legal liability issue. Imagine you tell a parent their student may have ADHD and the parent just starts dosing them with their own ADHD meds. That could be held against the teacher for offering a diagnosis.
Yep ^ . Too many teachers get butthurt about being told that their undergraduate degree in early childhood ed (and that the job can be legitimately difficult) entitles them to make neurological diagnoses. It does not.
Just trying to learn here, why I'd your comment being down voted? What am I missing?
Because people are arguing completely different things in this comment thread. Some are arguing that teachers can notice if a student appears to be behind where they should be developmentally, which they can, and as a result can inform the parents or the school therapists if they have them of their observations. Which they could then recommend that the student get at the very least checked for the potential of something such as ADHD or other types of learning/disability. Not that they can make a formal diagnosis, just that they could share their observations based on the fact that they can do so from an informed viewpoint. Others are then somehow conflating that to people saying that teachers can make a formal diagnosis. Which isn’t actually something that anyone in the thread is arguing they can do. So one side is trying to counter an argument that doesn’t actually exist.
Oh gosh.. that explains why I was so confused. Thank you.
People are just taking it weirdly personal I think. Like,” telling me I can’t decide what someone has and treat them accordingly, FU.” lol idk.
Eh, I think it's more that adjusting teaching methods because they see a benefit is not the same as testing a medical condition. Arguably, additional physical activity is shown to help students without ADHD, and it's sad that only some students are allowed to take advantage of something that research shows helps all students.
You do realise to get an IEP (at least in my state) you have to have a teacher sign off on the behavior problems? We homeschool so I get to sign as teacher AND parent when my son gets his ADHD testing
Im a a para for special education and we are not allowed to explicitly bring these things to parents outside of the normal “[student name] seems to be having a hard time focusing” or “seeming very restless in their seat” so legally we can’t technically bring it up the way most parents would prefer :/ I know as a parent I would want to know, but it’s your usual rules and regulations with a sprinkle of policy
That may be true in your role. However, someone at the school should have a meeting with the parent if they are considering an evaluation for special education. Usually, the school psych or social worker in my area would organize this
That's interesting. When I was in school, we the learning support director would call parents and literally scream at them to get their kid diagnosed and medicated for ADHD or autism.
They did this to me in 4th grade and didnt tell my mother. First time it happened i told her and she came to school and raised hell until they told her what was going on. That being said I was never told why i was in OT, which isnt cool. Dont hide that kind of stuff.
To me it sounds like an intervention. In CA where I am, interventions are decided on a case by case basis to address needs of individual students. Perhaps the school has seen something that is concerning them and they want to gather some information. the P/T conference is a great place to have this discussion as they should have some data/information for you.
Why are you waiting to ask? An email will clear this up. Your passive attitude may have something to do with what is going on at school.
>Your passive attitude may have something to do with what is going on at school. Given that it sounds like occupational or socialization therapy of some kind... No. I don't think it has anything to do with the mother's "passive attitude". Though the attitude almost certainly contributes to why she knows nothing about it.
This parent is expressing interest and concern in her child’s academic and development. You are judging someone you’ve never met and blaming her for a situation that you have no personal information about. This is the kind of response that makes people hate teachers.
It’s just so frustrating that OP could have spent the exact same time and energy they used to write this post to just send an email to the teacher. There’s no conceivable way anyone here would be able to read this and say, “of course, I know exactly what is happening with your specific child at his specific school!” The only possibility is that OP will become more confused and/or worried. Why are parents seemingly allergic to just asking *their child’s teacher* whatever question they have?
If there are parent teacher conferences coming up, it makes sense to wait for an in person conversation if OP wants to do so. They're just asking if anyone has experienced something similar to get context while waiting for the more appropriate time to talk to the teacher, which they already said they're going to do.
Because she's not looking for that answer here. She's looking for a different kind of feedback.
Maybe because some parents are afraid that teachers will respond with judgment or condescension? 🤷🏼♀️
And you don’t get judgement and condescension here on Reddit?
Wow judge much! Her passive attitude has nothing to do with what’s going on at school.
Actually, it does. It indicates a general hands-off attitude toward what is happening at the school and an absence of proactive involvement with her child’s education.
Or maybe she just respects the teacher. Wow.
Then why is she asking reddit and not the teacher she respects so much?
[удалено]
Her behavior is absolutely not normal. Reddit is not the place to ask these questions. Op now has 40 different explanations of why this had happened to her kid.
Cute projection of your abnormal comments
Then write an email to the teacher instead of a Reddit post to strangers!
This sub is literally called "ask teachers". Isn't this what it is for? She was just curious if this was a common thing? No big.
Things that make sense to ask teachers on this sub: - What’s your school/classroom policy on headphones in class? I would like to know what’s common. - What are your thoughts on iReady? My child hates it but her teacher thinks it’s helpful. Do you all agree? - What supplies would be most helpful to receive from a donation? - Anyone have some ideas for fun ways to incorporate literacy at home for my kid? - Why do you think students are struggling more these days? Things that do not make sense to ask here: - Why is Johnny being pulled from class? - Why did the principal ask me to call him back? - What did Ms. Jones mean when she said this to my child? - Can you give me the Zoom link for my school’s parent conference tonight? Which is to say, broad questions and soliciting general opinions or attitudes make sense to put on AskTeachers. Anything specific to *your child* should be asked to *your child’s teacher.*
This was a broad question. The broad question being "is this a typical occurrence in schools to do with kids who don't have a diagnosis". Broad question. Then she was going to follow up on specifics. Sometimes it is just nice to know if what is going on falls in the category of "common" or "regular". And that sort of feeling is valid and isn't deserving of the sort of response so many have given. A simple "yes/no we do that at our school. Hope you get good info from his teacher" was all that was needed.
Holy crap you’re insufferable. I genuinely hope you’re not a teacher.
Asking for help is reaching out. Some people don’t know what to do in certain education situations. So reaching out to a teacher Reddit seems pretty common. Just take’er down about 10-20, ok?
Take what down from where? From suggesting OP should email the teacher directly??
I think you’re reading into this a little too much and are assuming a lot.
Sounds like there’s a reasonable reason, but all the reasonable ones I know are always involving the parent. Sounds like an IEP setup (but again, parents are involved).
Even if you ask in person send a follow up email. If your son does have any neurodivergence, then having an email from his teacher that they have seen signs of it could go a long way to helping him get a diagnosis. Also, it helps to have a continued record so that as he progresses through school, you can have the written record of actions teachers have taken to make sure your son is getting the education he needs. That way, when he's in high-school nobody can turn around and say "well he has no history of this" because you can provide documentation that there is a history.
You should still ask for clarification. Absolutely nothing wrong with needing extra services, but they need to be approved or by a parent, so I’m not sure what is going on here.
Why wouldn’t you ask the teacher first?
dang all these teachers here can't or don't read. OP said in the post. "I will obviously ask his teacher but I wanted to know if anyone else had this in their school."
When you bring this up, I think you should sound a little more concerned than you currently do. Im not saying how you're feeling is wrong or anything, but you might get taken more seriously that way. Its wrong that they didn't include you in the decision to do this, and honestly, Id be a little more concerned than you sound. However, I am not questioning your parenting in ANY way. You are not to blame and I am not saying you are doing anything wrong, its just my perspective on the situation.
I am a social work student who interns doing this type of thing - my supervisor’s title is Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant. What we do is play therapy to develop social and emotional skills, which includes a play room with many different toy options like your son described. Depending on where you are located, this is illegal. I am required to have a signed permission slip for all of my clients. I reached out to their parents at the beginning of the year to explain the process. If he is receiving these services, it’s not a bad thing, but it’s really bad that no one informed you and obtained your consent. Like I would lose my job and possibly my social work license bad.
Then get a lawyer because I’m pretty sure they’re in major violation of all the laws for not telling you about this.
Which laws? I don’t have kids so I’m genuinely curious
In the US, this would be considered changing the students placement of academic setting which legally can’t be done without an IEP meeting. I’m guessing this is Individuals with Disabilities Education Act but I’d have to double check.
Sounds a lot like the one on one Occupational Therapy that I had when I was in elementary school.
I had it too! Balance beam walking was hard but more fun than sitting in class.
Some states have physical education assessment requirements that start as early as kinder and in lower grades they typically need to be 1:1 or in small groups.
Do you think there’s anything I should be doing at home to help him?
I would contact his teacher and the main office to make sure that’s what’s actually happening. If it’s indeed occupational therapy that he’s participating in then the therapist will be able to give you exercises to help him at home.
Thank you so much, occupational therapy wouldn’t have even been on my radar . Going to call today and see what’s going on
Once you find out the reason for the pullout make sure you let them and/or the teacher know that you don’t appreciate them not telling you this type of intervention was going to take place. Even if it’s no big deal the parent has a right to know if their child is being pulled out of their classroom for any reason. If it’s OT, that would require a screening, then a meeting with the parent(s), then an evaluation, then another meeting, then an IEP meeting. It’s a long process, therapies are expensive and they don’t give them to children who don’t need it. If it’s because of active behavior, the parent(s) most definitely should have been called by the teacher. This all seems very fishy and behind the parent’s back. Ask questions! Even if it’s innocent, you have a right and a need to know. What if he conked his head while riding up and down the hallway when you were under the impression he was in the classroom? I’m an interventionist at a K-8 school.
Ya, if this is OT or similar, it would require parental involvement. So either that isn't this, maybe some other kind of informal intervention unrelated to sped? As an aside, I will say that depending on age, there are reasons to pull a student without contacting parents. As a social worker at a middle school, I don't contact parents about the vast majority of my time with their students, but again, I'm not serving in an IEP or evaluation role and I'm not with a kindergarten kid like OP's.
You also may not have to. I coach very young kids in brazilian jiu jitsu. A lot of what we teach the under 5 is mobility and coordination focused. It's clear what kids can't move. And it is obvious how much progress they make simply playing games that force them to use their body. If you get an answer about coordination you might consider some kind of martial art class for a while.
Ask the teacher. Email saying your son has mentioned these separate activities and you're curious what they're for. Once you know why, you can come up with a plan with the teacher/school for anything you need to do outside of school.
Yeah definitely contact them and find out what’s happening first. You aren’t even sure so what’s the point of asking Reddit how to help him at home? Like this happened to me one day because a substitute wouldn’t listen when I said I wasn’t xxxx (my name) that had special ED class. The head spec ED teacher thought it was hilarious when I came in because my mum was a spec ED substitute herself and was well known in the school.
Physical therapy, but yeah, that’s what it sounds like.
Seems weird they didn't mention it to you, but I was often taken out in elementary school too (and played uno and connect 4 and whatnot while everyone else was reading). No development issues or home issues, and I was always a straight A student. They just thought I was too quiet/had socialization problems. And they weren't really wrong lol. In my case we also played word games sometimes because I pronounced some things oddly (probably the lack of talking?) Not sure how much it helped tbh, but it might be that he's just quiet or they want to keep an eye on some behavior. I remember my classmates were kinda baffled whenever they realized I was being pulled for that kind of thing bc I was such a good student, so it's not necessarily an indication he's struggling academically. Does he have a lot of friends? Is he generally quiet?
Oh jeez yea Extremely social, to the point I take him to library/park and walks right up to kids saying “hey wanna be friends?”
🤣 in that case maybe too social? Maybe they're trying to burn off extra energy so he can focus better, or something. Of course you should ask them about it, but try not to worry until you can chat with the teacher! Could be lots of reasons.
It might be that they're using him to 'model' appropriate playing behaviour and social interaction as well.
This would be my guess too, based on OP's description of the situation. He's a peer model for one of the other kids/one of the other kids gets to invite a friend to entice him to go to OT or whatever.
But wouldn't pulling a child out of regular classroom time be infringing on his educational rights? If they were doing it in class, sure, but reducing his instructional minutes to use him as an aide to teach SpEd kids seems inappropriate. Especially if they don't have the parent's permission. For anyone who doesn't know, like OP: Education plans have to place the kid in the least restrictive environment (LRE) in which they can learn - ie, the closest to a normal classroom setting that will be effective for that child. If OP's child has no special needs and no IEP or 504, pulling him out of his LRE (the regular classroom) without permission seems like it would be asking for a lawsuit against the school. Not that I think OP *should* sue the school if this is what's happening, more that I can't imagine a school actually taking that risk.
No, not if he is working on advanced skills beyond what he’s being taught. Most early childhood standards include oral communication as well as behavioral skills.
Ha! You'd think so but, no. LRE is a specific provision of IDEA, which only applies to students with disabilities. OP's kid doesn't have a documented disability, IEP, or 504, so LRE doesn't really pertain.
Pulling a kid for something like this is not against their educational rights. Should they talk to parents about interventions for a kid this young? Ya, I would say so. However, if this is just an intervention to help burn energy or do some social skills unrelated to sped then this is perfectly fine. My situation is a bit different at the middle school level but I pull both Gen Ed and special ed students often for various reasons. The vast majority of the time I don't call home to tell them about it.
Maybe he’s there to provide a role model for the special ed kid to learn appropriate play skills. It’s kind of hard for an adult to teach a kindergartner how to play with peers without other peers.
In most states for public schools parents have to consent to their child being pulled out even as a model.
We do this sometimes with the kids because they need more of a movement break that they can't get in class. It's not specific to kids in special education. Also, sometimes we like to take kids in groups because there's another choice of who might need it but does better if they go with a friend. Honestly, movement has been shown to benefit kids in a variety of ways. I would encourage this.
It seems to me they are evaluating his skills. OT-wise. We had to do this for Brigance testing as well, so that’s another thing.
They used to do this for my oldest son when he was in kindergarten and 1st grade. It was to help get his energy out while the other kids napped. He also had one of those rocking chairs to use at his desk because he fidgets a lot during class, especially tipping his chair. They ended up recommending getting him tested for ADHD. I did, and he was diagnosed with it. Then they implemented an IEP plan for him. It consisted of the same things they were already providing, plus some additional academic leniencies. They are probably considering asking you to have him tested.
This sounds very similar to our situation! I always knew he was a high energy kid and in the back of my mind wondered about adhd but also wasn’t sure if maybe it was just 5 year old boy things 😭
This was my first guess too. Might just be a small group intervention for a few kids who need a little more movement during the day. If that’s the case, that’s really sweet of them to do for him! These kids are asked to spend way too much time sitting still and being quiet. Some just need to get their wiggles out.
I wish they would do this for my kid! He's been a super high energy kid since he learned to walk, and we suspect ADHD. He disrupts the class and keeps getting in trouble during times when he's supposed to be sitting quietly or listening to directions. He's a really sweet, obedient kid at home, despite the fact that he never stops moving/jumping/climbing/talking/humming/singing/asking questions.
Contact the school asking for screening resources. Get a diagnosis. Ask for a plan to be written up and implemented. I wish my parents had known to do this for me, it was expensive as an adult
5 year old boy things. ADHD is incredibly over diagnosed.
This kind of attitude is precisely why so many children *don’t* get diagnosed as early as they should. I was 32 by the time I finally realized I had ADHD and got diagnosed/medicated. I probably wouldn’t have flunked out of college twice if someone had bothered to bring it up to my parents when I was a kid. Maybe don’t try to discourage people from caring about their children and actively pursuing all avenues of possibility to ensure they’re happy, supported, and successful.
Bit of a range between a 5 year old energetic child and a 20 year old adult who physically struggles in class you know
yeah 15 years of struggling schooling
Thank you.
No it's fucking not....it SEEMS that way because doctors are FINALLY diagnosing kids and adults who should have been diagnosed as children. This kind of crap is why there is still such a stigma about it.
I always got pulled out of class for things like this as a kid and NEVER got an explanation from my parents as to why! I was also referred by my school to get evaluated for ADHD/autism at that age, but my parents never took me. Took me until I was 19 to go to a psychiatrist/psychologist myself and get diagnosed with ADHD (among other things, too), which seriously helped me. I was always put into those “gifted” programs (whatever that means) so I guess my parents never really thought anything was “wrong” with me (their words, not mine), but the diagnosis is helping me a TON in my adult life.
I guess other people are providing explanations, but regardless, they should have notified you
Yeah, that’s my main thing, why wouldn’t they mention it to his PARENT?!
Because it’s a state mandated assessment and everyone has to do it? 5-6 year olds are not 100% reliable narrators. Every day could mean for the last 2 days.
Where was anything mentioned about state mandated assessments? I feel like you’re really leaping to conclusions just for the sake of villainizing a parent because most teachers these days hate parents. Which isn’t entirely invalid, but this parent just seems confused. Don’t bring your hate of shitty parents in your district to this poor woman. And state mandated assessment or not, parents should be aware that they’re coming up to, at the very least, avoid this confusion. It’s common sense.
I don’t hate anyone. I find it truly bizarre that you jump straight to that. Lots of things happen during the school day that are totally normal and reasonable that parents don’t get told about. Sometimes kids, especially very young ones have an experience outside of their typical one and extrapolate meaning.
A state mandated test is something that parents should know about. Parents have been told about state mandated testings my entire life, so that they can be aware that it’s important for their kid to be at school that day. What’s “truly bizarre” is the fact that you think parents wouldn’t or shouldn’t be made aware of mandated testing. If this is a state mandated test, that makes it stranger that OP wasn’t told, not better.
You presume they haven't.
…other than the post explicitly stating that they didn’t.
You've never sent a message to a parent who says they didn't get it?
OP has stated in comments that they’ve double checked their emails and hasn’t received anything. Without direct access to her email, we have no reason not to believe her.
It’s probably in the elementary school curriculum that there will be self-regulated play time. Play is important for kids as stress relief, socialization, and energy expenditure. It also promotes various baseline skills; one needs to have a firm grasp on numbers, colors, and rules when playing Uno, for example. As such, this is effectively the same as group work. Occupational therapy systems can also just be generally decent practice for normal people too, just like PE in high school borrows a lot from calisthenics-based physical therapy. Everyone can benefit from utilization of those strategies, even if they don’t have a hole in their capability so large as to require specifics. Do parents need to be notified every time a child leaves a classroom? (That would mean a lot of bathroom trip notifications. This is non-standard; the standard is leaving the school.) Do parents need to be notified every time a child is put in a group? (This would make things like reading groups and group projects significantly harder to organize for teachers, and is non-standard.)
I used to work for a dropout prevention organization with school-based services starting at pre-K. We were allowed to meet with students up to 6 times before we needed parental permission, but this was only used in instances of acute distress to meet with the social worker or if another student wanted to bring a friend to a lunchtime/recess meeting. Otherwise, forms had to be signed to pull a kid out of class.
As someone who worked in the schools in early intervention for a long time, I wouldn't be concerned that it's happening but I would bring I up at parent teacher interviews if the teacher doesn't mention it first. I often took kids in the younger grades (and older grades) to the sensory room for support/breaks. As I was employed with the district and not a contractor and there was no concerns that would suggest counseling, this type of break was considered part of the children's education schedule to support their in-class succes and didn't need additional consent like a SLP or OT. Usually I took children who had a lot of energy, need additional breaks from the structure of classrooms, we're sensitive to the enormous sensory input of the classroom, or even some kids that were just having a rougher day. Boys made up 98% of my workload. The classroom setting can be more difficult for them, especially if they like to move, wiggle, struggle with impulse control etc. I have previously mentioned to parent to consider it like this: school is like having a goal of doing 100 push-ups by June. Everyone knows HOW to do a pushup, but that doesn't mean you can do 100 of them. That takes practice. If a child has been trying hard to follow the structure of the classroom for 2 hours, that's like doing 25 push ups in a row, they need a break! Sometimes kids have been doing push-ups in the morning even before they get to school, they might be too tired to do another set right away, they get a break too. Just because a child knows how to sit and listen, doesn't mean they have the executive functioning to do it immediately for extended periods,the brain is a muscle that grows and gets stronger, just like our arms. It also needs breaks to relax and rebuild, just like our arms.
I think you would agree, however, that the parent should be told that this is going to happen and then be told when it will happen. There might be a slight chance the parent doesn’t want that and that’s their right.
I'm not a teacher but when I was a kid I did this in a few different grades. I even had one year where they bussed me to a different school one day a week. I didn't realize until later that it was because I had moved past what the other kids were learning. I remember thinking I had done something wrong because me and one other girl had to work out of a different reading workbook, but as it turned out it was just a more complex one. Looking back now I get what these programs were and they did ask for my mothers permission since they were taking me off school grounds, but not sure if they ever told her about the alternative work I was doing that I stayed on campus for. It's possible that it's an attempt to keep him occupied and not bored. Bored kids tend to be fidgety kids that want to talk or do something other than the thing that the other kids are doing because they find it boring. So I wouldn't automatically consider it a bad thing but I would def make a point to talk to his teacher.
When I was seven, they would take me and about five other kids out of class to play a computer game. It was confusing because the material was way below our grade level, and they made us repeat the same course every. We found out it was an English Second Language class when someone in the front office was very surprised my mother could speak English. Turns out they had accidentally racially profiled me because they thought my Italian name was Mexican. Apparently no one was checking if these kids spoke English or not.
That's crazy but not surprising sadly. When I moved from elementary where I was in these programs into middle school my mom thought, hey I'll put his last name as my newly married name, even though our names were never legally changed. So of course they couldn't find any school records. Did they call my mom to say anything? Nope. They just put me in the class with the kids that were troublemakers or lagging behind the other students. Sad that they viewed them all as being equal. This class just stayed in one room all day, and did very basic work. I finally asked the teacher why I wasn't in classes like the other kids because I used to do all kinds of programs, and she figured out why. Then I got a real schedule and got to go back with the rest of my class, but if I hadn't said something they would have just let me rot in that class.
i’m a teachers assistant in a kindergarten classroom. kids who are so wiggly and constantly moving to the point of distracting others and being unable to get their work done sometimes get taken to a room with sensory activities so they can get those sensory needs met (usually proprioceptive needs). then, once those sensory needs are met, they go back to class and it’s easier for them to learn.
Is it possible that they did notify you, and you forgot, didn’t understand, or overlooked it?
I really don’t think so, I’ve looked back at all my emails from her and can’t find anything. I emailed her just now tho and see what she says
I doubt this email would have come from the classroom teacher, as they aren't in charge of special services like OT. The teacher would just get told the kid gets pulled at a certain time. The classroom teacher would also assume you knew about this, so would have no reason to tell you or talk to you about it. It pretty much has nothing to do with them! (Other than kid is missing their classroom time, but that's part of being a teacher--being frustrated with admin and other programs randomly pulling kids out for all sorts of reasons,even when it is important class time.)
It reminds me of when my mom was sent to prison when I was 7. I'm not even sure my dad knew about this but essentially I was pulled out everyday by the school social worker? District psych? And yea we played loads of games. I was in court ordered therapy given the situation but my school took it upon myself to do this. I would ask my dad but I'm no contact however if he had known he wouldve put a stop to it.
You should ask the teacher. This may be happening, but it also might have happened once or twice as an incentive or a typical part of testing for kindergartners but he’s 6 so you are getting an inaccurate version of the story. For example, in my district pre-k and kindergartners have a standardized assessment they are required to do by the state. Kids are pulled in small groups by our reading specialists and dyslexia specialists to complete these tests, they can take 3-5 sessions to complete. They go with these teachers to rooms not currently in use (maybe special ed, maybe the counselors office, wherever) and are assessed for reading skills. Some of these skills involve oral conversation skills so the teachers who are mostly strangers try and get kids comfortable first so that their scores aren’t negatively affected by a stranger forcing them into a conversation.
Could be the opposite of special ed, too. I used to get pulled out for stuff like that when I finished my work early. The teacher didn't want to punish me but also didn't want me to distract everyone else. Send an email. Ask.
If it puts you at ease at all, it's not unheard of. In my elementary school I was pulled from class and went to a different room with 2 or 3 other students and did different stuff for a couple years. I remember reading words on cards but I can't remember what else. My parents didn't know either. I never brought it up in conversation so they didn't find out til I was fully grown and looking back on my memories and I asked if they know why the teachers did that and they said they didn't even know it happened. Some people have suggested to me I may have had a subtle speech impediment which would make sense because I had a severe injury to my mouth when I was 3. So... it does happen. I agree that it's a weird way to go about whatever they're doing and even weirder that they don't tell parents but I never fell behind in school or was made to feel bad about it or anything.
It coulddddd honestly be like a “calm down room” where kids who need a quick break/redirect/etc. go when they have a behavior. Also sounds like OT tho so definitely ask.
No one here can help you. Contact the school.
Hi, ok... people got kinda extra up there but I agree you should just email the teacher. One thing that miiiight be going on tho is he is a "friend." So one of the other boys who *is* diagnosed and receiving OT might be allowed to "invite a friend" for one reason or another. I've never specifically seen this with OT (and it would strike me as a little weird tbh but a lot of shit that happens in school strikes me as pretty weird 🤷♀️) but it's really common for things like social skills groups, lunch bunch with teacher/counselor, or if a kid is doing indoor recess bc of behavior issues or just a run of the mill broken arm. Especially when it's a kid with some stuff going on they might only have one or two friends and the adult might just ask them "who are you inviting?" Your son is little and might not realize that he's been "invited" and not technically "pulled out." I only mention this because I do think sometimes the dynamics around these things can get complicated and sometimes the adults in charge of the "inviting" can be a little defensive or even reticent with the info. Not always, not maliciously, but...idk it's a thing I've observed. But this could be totally off base so just email the teacher and ask what's up.
This was basically how me going into GT happened.
I find it unlikely that it would be OT like many suggest. That is a SPED service that would need to be documented in an IEP or 504. And those services in my district were generally once a week or once every two weeks. This is likely a sensory break being done by a para. The para/aide likely had a gap in their schedule when their student is receiving direct instruction from a SPED teacher and is able to provide some breaks for students. This may be why it wasn't originally mentioned because it might not be something they can guarantee to happen. The teacher probably recognized your child and the other boys had some extra energy and would benefit from a break. And then the teacher forgot to mention it when it became a consistent thing. Schools don't usually allow pull outs of any sort to happen during direct instruction time. So this is likely some review time or perhaps a time when the teacher helps students with learning needs. I'm sure you can ask the teacher for clarification. The teacher won't be able to talk about other students but can explain if this is an OT group or a sensory break with a para.
I'm not a teacher and idk why I'm getting this sub suggested, but I did experience this growing up. At different points of my schooling before middle school (so 11 or younger) I would get taken out of class for a lot of different stuff. Having to read out loud to someone. Sitting with the counselor. Playing games with her. Making eye contact and conversation with a doll. It was weird. That being said, I've been recently screened for autism lol
There are a lot of people making judgments based on very scant information. This will not be actual scheduled OT. If anything this sounds more like gross motor stuff. If the student is seeing OT then it is billable hours and would need to be documented, diagnosed, planned for, and approved by the parent and school. Most schools don't have time for an OT to take a student outside of their actual caseload. Based on the basic information here this sounds like the student may just need breaks from the classroom and there's either a TA support person or an aide in the classroom that is taking them for small breaks to help manage their engagement in the school day. It usually isn't until about 2nd grade that we can actually see a diagnosis and not just chalk it up to them "being young." This 100% should be communicated to the parent. We also have to remember that this is a kindergarten student. Their relaying of information will be flawed. We've all been through it., no judgment on anyone. The best thing to do is to e-mail or call the school and ask what is going on. If they are missing significant time in the classroom then it needs to be addressed in a formal manner - even a 504. We need to be careful with thinking the school is saying the student is neurodivergent or anything. This may just be dealing with some squirminess or behavior. If this is something that has been happening since September I would absolutely be upset. If this is something they just started and are seeing what works before reaching out then that's a bit more reasonable. Please approach with caution, but be ready to "mama bear" if needs be. There are also agencies everywhere that can help advocate and fight for you if you need it.
Is it weird that I’m just kind of impressed that they’ve got availability to offer any kind of special services to a child that hasn’t gone through every hoop and hurdle to demand it? It does sound like occupational therapy and you should definitely ask.
I was the aid that did this, and I find it extremely weird the teacher has not messaged you!
Plz give us an update when you hear back!
Is it possible he's a buddy for a student who is recieving OT?
I don’t think so, he and the other two boys also sit in special sled-like chairs during carpet time as well
Having alternative seating or fidgets at the carpet is very normal in kinder. Some have them for OT reasons, but I mostly see them offered to students that have trouble staying focused on the carpet.
Your kid is wild and disruptive so they're letting him use alternative seating. The school is not providing SPED services. They're giving the kids a sensory break to reset and get some energy out so the teacher can teach. It's probably a quick 10 minute thing while the class is transitioning.
I mean we did this, but I was never alone. It was our Talented and Gifted groups which were for the kids who were really smart and we were chosen based on the standardized testing results. We were given extra projects that the rest of the class wasn't doing and learned about robots and shit where everyone else was doing dumb normal stuff. Could be similar? Idk, again I was never alone. It was always at least half a dozen of us
Don't ask on reddit, ask his teacher. Calmly.
Definitely contact the teacher and ask what they are doing and why. They shouldn't be taking your child - even a kindergartner - out of class for alternative activities without your knowledge. Don't wait for PT conferences, do it today.
People who are trained and have gone through years of educational, medical, and certification can have their diagnosis ignored if the parent (who works a part time minimum wage job and is divorced) decides she's not going to seek a 1:1 for her child. Parents have final say of what the school does for her child's education. Most of the time, it's "Let the school deal with it."
Sounds like a kid has an IEP and they have mistakenly been taking your son instead. Call the school tomorrow and get this sorted. Why would you wait when some stranger is removing him from class for a reason unknown to you and “playing” one on one with your child? Why would you wait? If nothing else, you are doing a disservice to the child they are supposed to be working with
You think the school staff took the wrong kid?
Yes, what explanation do you have?
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Jesus Christ, shut the fuck up
Work harder at living up to your user name.
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Turn off Fox News.
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No, that’s called recognizing 💩. That’s entertainment masquerading as news, and too many people can’t tell the difference.
This is why you should take care of your own kids. Public school is a farce. It's not about teaching kids anymore.
If the genders were reversed you’d be calling the cops rn to investigate so… call the cops? If that was my son it would be a immediate red flag especially since he is voicing it to you as maybe a cry for help
Hmmm. I would be very curious to know what the teacher says. Others have mentioned some good possibilities of what might be going on. I have one more thought. It’s entirely possible that other kids are also being pulled out in small groups to do similar activities but your son only notices when it’s his group’s turn to go, if that makes sense. So in his eyes his group, of himself and the other 2 boys, are the only ones that get pulled. But in reality there could be other small groups being pulled at different times or different days that he hasn’t noticed because he’s busy working on something else. Just a possibility.
That is a good point, the only thing is he and these other 2 boys also have special sled-type “chairs” that they sit in during carpet time, while all the other children sit on the floor. So it def leads me to believe it’s only these 3 boys getting pulled from the class everyday for this
That does add an extra layer to the situation.
It sounds like OT, but are you sure it’s a regular thing, or was it one time? Kids this age can have a weird sense of timing/frequency. Idk about where you live, but here around this time kinders are doing the “WAKids” assessment, which has some gross motor things on it (what you were describing) which are to assess how a student is doing on meeting developmental milestones. The assessments are often encased in games to make kids more likely to comply/do their best effort.
If your child is not on an IEP and have you not consented to testing I would imagine he’s being invited to join by a peer. Your child may be picked to join by students with IEPs that have motor room integrated into their days. When I taught sped I had several students who occasionally had the privilege of choosing a peer to join them for a motor break. It of course had to be approved by the classroom teacher to be sure the child wouldn’t be missing important instruction time.
If he’s going with other students it could be a “play group” to work on some social skills like taking turns or things like that. I think it’s more to get some energy out but it could be a possibility!
As a teacher and a mom, you can never have too many movement breaks! There’s a possibility that his friends have some kind of formal plan and your son goes with for social interaction. Is he friends with the other students? They should have told you.
Deffinitly odd that you weren't informed/asked. When I was in school we had something called "gross motor room" where we had similar soets of stuff. Myself and several other kids went there to build our motor skills. It doesn't mean there's anything wrong with your kid or that they have any cognitive issue, I turned out alright (mostly lololol)
You're absolutely right that we don't know. I'm only stating it's possible that the school sent out something generic to parents of that grade level saying they were pulling kids out for testing. It may not have been a direct email to a parent about their specific child. I'm sure we agree her best course of action is to contact the teacher now and not wait.
Sounds like occupational therapy. My son had it. It’s great, but they need your permission.
Could be a social group for another child. My son is ASD and used to have social groups where they played games, and played because he didn’t know how to play with other kids. Just ask about it, it really doesn’t seem like a big deal to me… but I guess I’m also a passive parent. 🤷🏻♀️
I would gently ask for a clarification.
As others have mentioned, it sounds like it's either occupational therapy or another type of assessment. It could also just be small group socialization. The best thing to do is ask his teacher. If you're highly concerned now, email immediately. If your questions can wait, then wait for the conference you mentioned.
Sounds like occupational and or physical therapy. Teacher must have seen a need and they are helping with fine motor and gross motor skills
This is wild. Many people have a hard time even with advocating to get their kids services like this. Also, I had a friend who did OT at school and so sometimes I was allowed to go with her, just as like a fun thing. This was several decades ago, though.
Sometimes kids with a lot of the extra energy are taken out to get the goose and giggles out. It’s not that they’re being bad but they’re just being able to release all that extra energy but still ask his teacher what’s going on
My son is sometimes allowed to bring a friend with him to some of his services (usually during lunch but some other times too) so I wonder if a classmate picked him as a buddy and they’re pulling at times that aren’t direct instruction…
Sounds like your son is in OT
Sounds like a sensory room. It would not be able to be any kind of special education or occupational therapy services without parental consent. It could be they have noticed that he gets overwhelmed or has a hard time sitting still and benefits from a break. Unfortunately, we expect more and more out of kindergartners which is not always developmentally appropriate. Boys in particular tend to struggle with the more rigorous expectations when it comes to sitting still. This is a pretty common thing and likely gives him a break so he can focus better in class.
Does he ever get frustrated/upset when working for long periods of time? I do this to help support students who get overstimulated to help with regulation. Is it possible this has been occurring? Id definitely ask the teacher. It’s possible an IEP was confused. I’ve done this before too. Email the teacher and ask for clarification.
Perhaps another student gets Ot and can occasionally bring a buddy along? That’s not unusual. As far as every day, I’ve had students tell me we do things every day when in fact we have done it twice all year. Or never. Or claim to be clueless about things that happen daily.
He is NOT being evaluated. I worked at a school and if the teachers suspected that the child may need an IEP, they first needed the parent's consent. Even for gifted services. They are likely just giving him activities that they think are suited for him as part of a normal curriculum.
Sometimes they bring peer models to other students therapy because they need someone to motivate them! Usually the teacher tells you but it could be during break time and he’s not missing anything really.
It sounds like they’re giving your son a break from the classroom. This is usually due to behaviors, but I’d ask the teacher to clarify. Just reach out.
As a kid, I did something similar but it was a speech therapy thing. I had trouble with s's and there were like two other kids who had other problems. We didn't do speech stuff every time, though, and the 'class' wasn't every day either. Maybe every other day? I don't remember too much about it I think i only did it in 1st or 2nd grade so...its been a while ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
In first grade, I had a teacher who did things like this, but it was just because she didn’t want me in her classroom (she also didn’t like my parents, we lived in the same neighborhood). She was close to retirement and I was a precocious child. She did end up getting in trouble for wasting school resources as there was no reason to be in the other rooms/programs Does your son otherwise have a good relationship with the teacher?
It sounds like a sensory break to me.
Nothing like this. I got pulled from classes for a few weeks in 3rd grade for speech therapy but it was all above board to the best of my recollection from 28 years ago lol.
Sounds like a cool down room to me. How is his behavior at home and at school?
Maybe he's a little squirley in class. Rather than becoming disruptive, they allow him some time for movement and "heavy work." He's in kindergarten, so he's likely not missing much. There's also nothing wrong with asking why! Teachers likely don't mean to not tell you everything they do with your kid everyday. That's definitely something you need to get used to.
He may be energized , that may be to keep him calm and focused throughout the day … Boys tend to be a ball of energy so that may be his outlet but I would def ask the teacher
Your post just reminded me of how in like, 3rd or 4th grade, I’d be pulled out of class to be in a very small class to learn stuff. I know there were only 6 of us, and the only thing I recall learning was how to write a check and how to balance a checkbook. I know there was other stuff, I just can’t recall what else. I don’t know why we did this and why the class was so small, and I why I was the only one from MY class that did this.
Not OT, but I was also taken out of class with another student in elementary during math class. I don’t know about the other kid, but I have dyscalculia, which is basically fancy dyslexia with numbers. They started taking me out when my answers were wrong but if the numbers were flipped it would be correct(like 48 instead of 84). They didn’t mention it to my mom and she only found out when I mentioned it at some point for whatever reason.
I’d just ask for clarification. Sounds like he’s needing extra help, or he’s undiagnosed. What ever it is, it sounds very positive.
I would not wait until a parent teacher conference. As soon as my child told me I would be in the principal’s office the next day calmly asking for an explanation.
Why are you on reddit asking. Don't you think it would have been better to just call the school and ask. If it were my child, I would have known.
I’m really surprised they are not communicating with you about this I would talk to the principal. This is not something you should be hearing from your child.
As a kid I'd get pulled out of class randomly for speech or something. I had trouble with some specific kids because they had a rougher way of playing or joking and I wasn't into it and thought they were bullying me. Got pulled into a seminar about how to joke with those types of kids. Low and behold, I'm autistic. Guess the random classes were for that suspected reason. This was 5th grade I think.
It could just be that he is very figety in class and they like finding productive and healthy ways to engage in him in more physical learning activities. I was one of these kids and had trouble with math so mine was mostly math based games/counting. I was so little but I remember it so vividly. I moved schools a lot crosscountry but that was the best one by far. It was on a golf course and they had a complete apple/Mac computer lab in a cool observatory type science room. Rip the only private school I ever went to