I work in a preschool and I have a child who has bi-polar disorder.?

Question

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can deal with this child when he has his "manic" states? I have run out of ideas and most of them do not help.

Answer 1

I think you should have prizes so he can try to control himself. For example, If he/she goes through a whole day without getting 'crazy' you can give him/her a lollipop. The more he does good, the better the prizes get.

Answer 2

I had bp all my life, only diagnosed recently but hope I can help. FIrst, I never could deal well with change.  Even good change could make my manic state worse.  Give plenty of warning before making any changes.  Second, red food dye always has sent me into mania.  Maybe talk to the mom about this.  Even small amounts would make me get more manic and even violent.  SOmetimes when I am manic I just feel really overwhelmed,   ALso, I had lots of energy.  WHat my momn did when I was little, which seemed to help a lot, was put a large stack of magazines in my bedroom.  WHenever I got overwhelmed or was acting vilent, she would ask me if I needed to go to my room.  WE both discussed earlier that it was not because I was in trouble.  ONce there, others knew to leave me alone while I unwound.  AS for the magazines, I used them to get out my energy.  I would rip out a page at a time and throw them hard and fast at the wall.  I always had to pick them up afterward, again, not because I was in trouble.  Try setting up a quiet corner somewhere for him to throw paper around.  ALso, the more upset or angry or negative my mom got, the more determined I was to "win" or outdo her so above all else, you have to remain calm and quiet. Try not to stress or he will stress and get worse.  My mom also used to make me clean stuff to get out my energy or vent.  It wasnt a punishment.  ALso, during mania, I like to do several things at once, leaving most of them unfinshed because I get bored.  What about offereing the child a choice of 2 things he can do and then when he finishes that he coudl check in with you for two more options.  Its not that he is necessarily opposed to work his brain is just really overstimulated and can only concentrate for a short time before getting bored.  Its very stressfull.  Be consistent on the schedule but offer options for him that he can do for a few minutes and then more on to something else when eh needs to.  Saying no to this child will be seen as a battle cry say avoid it at all costs.  Offer ooptions instead!!  Finally, if all else fails, try giving him an odd chore or activity to do like, putting all the pencils in a straight line.  He may not finsih the chore but for a few minutes he might be entertained and able to calm down.  Mania makes you feel like you are the best at everything so play up that.  Tell him (out of the earshot of others, of course) that you have an important job that has to be done and you think he is perfect for the job and would do it wonderfully.  THen have him do something odd that will amuse him such as getting all the pennies out of a jar of change or putting three pencils in every corner of the room, etc.   I also wanted to say that mania makes me feel claustophobic about people in my space and like my skin is crawling.   SO while the child may want to be in a quiet corner somewhere, i have to politely disagree with the previous person.   If someone tried to comfort me while in a manic state by touching me gently or rubbing my back, even my family,  I would get more stressed and more agitated!!  I really just need my own space to be in by myself for a few minutes.   Good Luck!

Answer 3

Try getting an aide for him.  How big is your class, and if over 10; then try putting him in a smaller class.

Maybe this website will help:

Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation: Vital information on ...

Thorough coverage of illness, including education and legal issues. Provides message

boards, chat room.

http://www.bpkids.org/ - Cached

Answer 4

To the answer above me : Don't patronize him with prizes.

I'm not quite sure of the dynamic of your classroom exactly.  Are you in a private or public school?  Are you working alone or with an assistant?  How supportive is the rest of the staff with this (and how many others are in the staff?)

The main thing for you is to remain calm when you're dealing with him.  Figure out how to get him away from the group and just spend some quiet time with him doing whatever makes him feel better - rubbing his back and whispering, letting him color how he feels, letting him say if he can figure out what is making him angry at the time...each child is different as far as what works.

When he's not in his manic stage, this is a good time to talk to him about strategies to do when he does get that way.  I had one student that was like this and I had to tell him that, when he gets upset, he needs to breathe into his hand.  (Just put his hand out a few inches in front of his mouth, take a deep breath, then breathe into it).  When he got to that stage, if I reminded him about it, he would SOMETIMES go off in the corner and do it.

Do you have support from the administration and are they any good with him?  If so, watch how they handle it and see what technique they use.  Sometimes, it's nothing more than just a second person stepping in and trying something new that will help them.

The most important thing is open communication with the parents.  Be sure they let you know when the medication is changed, when his routine at home is changed, or when the doctor is trying something new.  This way, you can provide feedback of what you see happening in the classroom and they can report it back to the doctor to help figure out how to best help.

It's often difficult having a bi-polar child in the classroom.  Remember that our job is not so much about teaching our letter sounds and our math skills as it is providing the child with the best environment that we can for them to grow in.  I hope the situation improves for you over time.  Stay patient and realize that THESE experiences are what make you a stronger teacher.  If every student were easy all the time, you'd never get better.

Matt