My brilliant constant talker

by Nici
(Leachville, AR, USA)

I am looking for a reason - well, no, not even a reason. Just a method of coping with a child who talks constantly. It is starting to interfere with his education because he is half-way through 1st grade and he still hasn't gotten it under control. He started school in Pre-K, and attended a few ABC / Learning style daycares prior to that. That is 2-1/2 years in a school setting, and even longer in school-like settings that should have allowed for socializing and adjusting to classroom rules and conversational etiquette.

He is extremely bright, outgoing, and eager. He just can't seem to grasp the art of being quiet when necessary.

He shows most of the signs listed under "Proprioceptive Dysfunction" - both "Sensory seeking behavior" and "Difficulty with Grading of Movement". He also exhibits most of the signs listed under "Signs of Auditory Dysfunction" for "Hyposensitivity to Sounds (Under-Register)". His father was diagnosed ADHD, dyslexic, and "mentally and emotionally unstable" at different points of childhood. So far my son doesn't seem to exhibit any life-interfering habits except the talking. He reads very well for his age (57 + words per minute of unfamiliar stories)

I am still trying behavior adjustments - my newest idea is to send an "idea book" to school with him, with instructions to write down the ideas and questions he feels like discussing, so he and I can talk about them the next morning. Maybe that will help teach him both how to be quiet, and how to delay gratification - as well as make him feel like his ideas are important enough to take his time and present them at the proper time and place.