preschool question -- kinda long!

I had a similar thing happen but my dd was older, and I didn't find
out about it until afterwards. It was kindergarten, and according to
the teacher, dd sat there and did not participate at (including going
out for recess) or speak for several weeks. She was 5. I found out
about it at the first parent conference session, and she had stopped
by then. In her case, she pitched a fit about going, and I'd have to
lock her out of the house and tell her older sister to walk on without
her. Eventually, as dd#1 was disappearing, she'd run after her and go
on to school.

I had a new baby, which was one reason I didn't walk her to school, so
that might have been part of it.

grandma Rosalie

Logan loves going...we never have to force him to go. He talks about his
teacher all the time and even has whole stories of what he is going to tell
her, show her etc...but once we get there, he never follows through with
what he says he was going to do...he clams up immediately. *shrugs*.

Janette
Mom to Logan Alexander 2-29-00
and Caleb Benjamin 2-11-02

Janette wrote:

The kid LOVES to learn and is always asking to learn new
things lol.

That is great! He sounds amazing. You might want to look up some
information on selective mutism to see if it fits. It is like a social
anxiety thing. I don't know a lot about it but I looked it up once when I
was worried about Hunter.

--
Nikki
Mama to Hunter (4) and Luke (2)

On Thu, 5 Feb 2004 12:44:33 -0500, "Sue"
wrote:

I really can't help with a lot of your problem, only to say that my oldest
daughter goes to school with a boy (since kindergarten together) that hasn't
spoke at school. The family and school does get some flak about letting this
go on so long (he is in 5th grade now) and some feel that it is a power
struggle issue. I have no idea though what to make of it.

With a 5th grader, this could be an anxiety disorder.

http://www.selectivemutism.org/


--
Dorothy

There is no sound, no cry in all the world
that can be heard unless someone listens ..

The Outer Limits

That is great! He sounds amazing. You might want to look up some
information on selective mutism to see if it fits. It is like a social
anxiety thing. I don't know a lot about it but I looked it up once when I
was worried about Hunter.

Thanks for the info Nikki...I'm off to look that up now to find out more
about it.

Janette
Mom to Logan Alexander 2-29-00
and Caleb Benjamin 2-11-02

wrote:

Logan loves going...we never have to force him to go. He talks about his
teacher all the time and even has whole stories of what he is going to tell
her, show her etc...

Well, that all sounds good. My daughters were getting some pretty severe
teasing in preschool, and one of them clammed up and withdrew from all the
social activities at that time. (We didn't find out about the bullying until
they told us about it a year or so later.) I think she did talk to the
teachers, and possibly to her twin sister, but she wouldn't talk to anyone else
or play with anyone else for quite a while. They had some kind of expert in to
observe the class, who basically said let her alone and she'll come around.

It may simply be that he's on a different level than the other kids and just
can't communicate with them very well, so has given up trying. This may or may
not even out a little later on. I have a friend with a son about nine months
older than mine, and our kids never used to play together at all because her
son was very verbal at an age when mine was barely talking (the difference
between a very verbal 3.0-year-old and a 2.33-year-old who has only just
started using two-word phrases is immense). They're now in the same
kindergarten class and at much more equal levels of function.

--Helen

Well, that all sounds good. My daughters were getting some pretty severe
teasing in preschool, and one of them clammed up and withdrew from all the
social activities at that time. (We didn't find out about the bullying
until
they told us about it a year or so later.) I think she did talk to the
teachers, and possibly to her twin sister, but she wouldn't talk to anyone
else
or play with anyone else for quite a while. They had some kind of expert
in to
observe the class, who basically said let her alone and she'll come
around.

It may simply be that he's on a different level than the other kids and
just
can't communicate with them very well, so has given up trying. This may or
may
not even out a little later on. I have a friend with a son about nine
months
older than mine, and our kids never used to play together at all because
her
son was very verbal at an age when mine was barely talking (the difference
between a very verbal 3.0-year-old and a 2.33-year-old who has only just
started using two-word phrases is immense). They're now in the same
kindergarten class and at much more equal levels of function.

--Helen

Thanks Helen! The more research I've done, I truly believe Logan might have
Selective Mutism. He definitely fits the description for a large part of it
anyway!

Janette
Mom to Logan Alexander 2-29-00
and Caleb Benjamin 2-11-02

That is great! He sounds amazing. You might want to look up some
information on selective mutism to see if it fits. It is like a social
anxiety thing. I don't know a lot about it but I looked it up once when I
was worried about Hunter.

--
Nikki
Mama to Hunter (4) and Luke (2)


Thanks for the advice Nikki. I have been doing a lot of research on
selective mutism since you posted this and I truly believe Logan might have
this. I have printed off a lot of info to take to his preschool teacher, as
well as to our family Dr to discuss this with them further. On one hand, it
relieves the frustration/stress of Logan not talking because maybe it's not
just because he's been stubborn after all...and yet, on the other hand, it
adds a whole new frustration/stress on knowing how to help him through this,
if thats in fact what he has.

Janette
Mom to Logan Alexander 2-29-00
and Caleb Benjamin 2-11-02