Recognizing Difficult Behavior in the Preschool Child

Active/Alert Child
Active/Alert kids can sit still for an activity such as television which interests them, but may have difficulty settling down for sleep. These kids are attentive to all the sights and sound around them and have difficulty showing out what is not important. They have no sense of limitations for themselves or others. teacher training recommends steady routines and the establishment of firm rules. The group of kids that she has studied is also described as very bright, perchance gifted. However, they may have learning differences in understanding and may be more auditory than visual learners.

Unconventional Child
pre primary teacher training course, describes a child who experiences learning and living difficulties as the "Unconventional Child" These are kids who learn, act, think, react, and play differently from most of their peers. These kids do everything that other kids do, but with greater strength, more randomly, and with more discrepancy. They are able to focus on a task for only a few minutes. Comfort recommends organization and structure for these kids because they often feel that the daily world is not in their power.

Difficult Child
The "Difficult Child" has been described by Dr. Stanley Turecki, M.D. (Turecki & Tonner, 1985).Normally, these kids are disobedient, tend to whine and complain, throw temper tantrums, are stubborn and do not listen, are loud and active, and have unbalanced eating and sleeping patterns. Montessori course believes that even if the child's diagnosis is hyperactivity, having knowledge and understanding of temperament factors can help parents and teachers handle better and manage the child's behavior more successfully.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Child
Whether a child is called "Active/Alert," "Unconventional," "Difficult," or "Spirited," most would agree that sometimes a child's behavior may be outside the kingdom of normal behavior. These kids virtually never sit still. Their actions are random rather than goal-directed. They are always touching things, have difficulty in paying attention to almost anything, do not follow directions, and are always disrupting.

Symptoms
The symptoms of ADHD Child include the following:
• Incapability to maintain attention over time with resulting incomplete work.
• Acting without thinking and having complexity delaying gratification.
• Inability to regulate or adapt activity to fit the demands of the situation.
• Being physically restless and having nonproductive activity.
• Uneven behavior from task to task or day to day, implying laziness or having manipulative behavior.
In the preschool setting, ADHD kids are seen as the kids who change their activity more regularly and in a shorter period of time than their peers. Have major mood swings and have difficulty handling change or transitions.
Origins

Evidence suggests that a child is born with a hereditary tendency to develop ADHD and that he or she inherits this tendency from his or her parents. It is not strange when reviewing the family history of an ADHD child to find parents and relatives claiming to have had or still showing the same behavioral symptoms as the child. Sadly, at this time geneticists have not been able to separate the specific gene or genes that are directly associated to behavioral disorders such as ADHD.

Treatment
Treatment of ADHD and/or its commonly connected developmental and behavioral disorders is generally in the form of symptomatic relief rather than a cure. There is no cure for ADHD and there are chances where the symptoms continue into later life.
Behavior management techniques could include these:
• Have several toys/activities, etc. available. Sharing does not come easily to the difficult child.
• Break a task down into its parts when introducing a distractible child to a new skill. Unlike regular kids, his poor observation skills have not permitted him to gain the needed information naturally to proceed with this skill.
• Respond to a problem situation instantly and treat the child fairly. If a spill occurs by mistake, it needs cleaning up. If it is a planned spill, it requires a consequence.
• Provide pillows, balls, beanbags, or punch bags for appropriate hitting, throwing, and kicking when angry.
• Use warm fuzziest, cuddliest, or blankets for security and loving as well as kisses, hugs, and encouragement.

An understanding, patient teacher who is firm yet loving can go a long way in preserving the confidence of a difficult preschool child. Although he or she is a daily challenge of inconsistencies and annoying regressions of behavior, how the difficult child survives this developmental stage will affect his or her next stage of growth.

Conclusion
a challenging preschool child may be described in a variety of terms or names. Care or management of this child should be focused on the specially observed behaviors rather than the name or label that is being used to portray his behavior. No matter what the ultimate diagnosis or cause of the child's behavior, treatment should take in management by understanding, accepting, and cooperating parents and teachers in association with other health care providers.