Joey had to go and see the Headmaster yesterday!  Not that his behaviour or performance is generally bad.  Indeed, academically he is making great progress and his first report was very positive about his progress and his behaviour.

But he and another kid in class are butting heads.  Ryan is the 'alpha male' in the class and he and Joey just do not get on.  Joey has some responsibility for this - he still does not always pick up on social cues and in his enthusiasm wants to be involved eg in games during breaks.  When that is rebuffed, as it has been by Ryan and the 'cool' kids, he does not react well and can get very upset.

This all blew up Monday and there was a major row, which left Joey very upset at the end of the school.  Ms Hoffman said that the two boys were equally to blame and would be seeing the Headmaster the following day.

The school's solution is that they both have to spend recess and lunch together in the Hm's office!  With no other kids.  Dividing them up in such a small school would not be the answer - there would be two camps and they would be unequal.  So they are being made to find a way to live together.  It seems that it went well and they played noughts and crosses yesterday.

Joey is still rather fragile and, sometimes, volatile.  Not at school, of course, but with us.  It isn't pleasant and it is not fair on Izzy, and very hard to deal with as we want to avoid being constantly on his back or over-reacting ourselves, whilst at the same time he can't be allowed to get away with it.

We have come to the view that Joey, in addition to dyslexia, has Attention Deficit Disorder.  His behaviour certainly fits that pattern.  Full of energy but not always able to focus.  Over-reaction, sensitivity, difficulty in following instructions sometimes, off in his own world etc etc.  But there are also positive aspects - the energy and enthusiasm, intelligence, creativity, imagination etc.  Key to success is to help Joey deal with the negative aspects without losing the positive.  So we are starting him with a child therapist next week, again.  But we checked first that he is not one that reached for the prescription pad to give to Joey drugs, like so many do here.  That would deal with the negative aspects but also affect the positive and it just does not seem right to give kids what are essentially amphetamines.    By all accounts, he is very good.