September 17, 2008

If You Give a Child a Cookie....


.....He will NOT bang his head!


I found this out after a few trial and error sessions with my lovely, student.


Last week while he was doing his word work with these word cards that I've been using with him, he banged his head on the table where we were sitting. I'm sitting there like "Is this boy crazy??"


I looked at him and I'm like, "Hunny, why did you just bang your head???" He says nothing and bangs it again. *okie.....*


I put my hand on his forhand to keep him from doing it again, because this was very disturbing to sit and watch. While holding his head he kept trying to do it, but I told him that if he does it, he and I will not be able to continue our work and that I was going to go and work with someone else. ( I really don't have to give one student ALL this attention while 9 others need me as well, but I've been trying to give everyone 10-15 min personal time with me each day)


At that point he says, "I'M HUNGRY!"


When does a child learn that when he has hunger he is to BANG his head on the table?? Is this learned behavior??


I said in a very soft and loving voice, "Hunny, if you're hungry all you have to do is say, 'Ms. Yates, I'm hungry may I have a snack?' and you know what?"

"What?", he says.

With a big smile and joy in my voice, "I'LL GIVE YOU A SNACK!"


I explained to him, however, if it happens again that he bangs his head when he's hungry and does not tell me, then of course no snack, because I won't know how to help him. Also, if he bangs his head and then comes to ask, he will only get half a snack for doing half of what he's supposed to do. He understood that and he hasn't banged his head when he was hungry since.
I make sure to have cookies for everyone everyday and I make sure to give them out before the usual head banging time. There has been a time where I didn't give out a snack, because it's not promised that I will do this and also to see if Michael has learned how to cope with his hunger, and sure indeed, he did not bang his head, he walked up to me and said 9 words that made my heart melt into a puddle.
Ms. Yates, I'm hungry, may I have a snack?

2 comments:

Vee said...

i think it's a learned behavior...maybe his parents don't know how to deal with it at home so they just let him bang his head until he knocks himself out.

I hope her grows out of it :-\

Anonymous said...

Wow.

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