Comments

• Judy Davis, Ogden 12/03/08

  There is also a possibility of diabetes. My daughter is 15 and did very well until sixth grade. At this point her teacher quit asking for assignments to be turned in. She felt the kids needed to learn how to do this for themselves. In many cases this is true. However, she was diagnosed with hypoglycemia this October. Research taught me that the fact that she can't remember things for more than five minutes is a HUGE! symptom of low blood sugar. The brain isn't getting the sugar it needs to function properly. She also cries for no reason and walks into walls. A new study called the dawn mind project is showing that it isn't just low blood sugar that can affect the brain. All diabetes can. It is difficult to get a Teacher to accept this. They don't understand enough about it. Don''t worry, I am teaching them.

• Debb Kapp, Oil City, PA 12/03/08

  I agree that not every child will, or should attempt to excel at academics. However as hard as my child tries to achieve the top 10% of her class in grades she should be coming closer to that ideal than she has been. This goal is entirely her own as her Dad and I have repeatedly told her that our expectation is only that she apply herself reasonably to her studies. She has good study habits, eats well, exercises daily (except Sun) and gets adequate sleep. I can only conclude that an un-recognized learning difference is creating the hurdle she just can't seem to get over. I wish we could identify the difference so that she might realize her goal as a result of her efforts.

• Joyce Thomas 12/07/07

  This article was very helpful to me. I have noticed a big difference in my son since the beginning of this, his freshman year, and was really suspicious of his friends, his computer, and just about anything and everything else causing the problems. His teachers tell me he’s trying, and he protests that he is, too. But I think I’m going to have him tested.

• Randy Busch 12/05/07

  I actually thought my daughter was depressed when she was 13. She claimed there was nothing wrong with her, but her attitudes, grades, everything was just slipping. She was finally (after two long years) diagnosed with ADD and is now on medication. She is so much happier and more like her old self.

• Sally Larson 12/04/07

  I really resent the medical establishment telling me that my child has some disorder. I think parents should wake up to the realization that not every kid’s lack of brilliance or social skills can be attributed to being so-called ‘learning different.’ There are just some kids who don’t live up to the very high potential that most middle-class parents have. That doesn’t mean they aren’t terrific people and won’t succeed in life. We should stop trying to explain away normal teen behavior and just live with it.