Ohio School Suspends Boy Over Mohawk

Age wrote:

<quoted text>How did this forum turn into a battle of opinions regarding ADHD, mental retardation or OCD? A 6 yr old boy should not be making decisions about his hair. His parent should exercise common sense. Peace.

Age wrote:

<quoted text>How did this forum turn into a battle of opinions regarding ADHD, mental retardation or OCD? A 6 yr old boy should not be making decisions about his hair. His parent should exercise common sense. Peace.

Homer 5 wrote:

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I must agree. I've read several articles concerning this child and his suspension, and not one mentioned ADHD or any other learning difference. And I do agree that mom or dad must have the final say on matters such as this. At 6 years old, they should have the final say on pretty much everything.

Suzy Greenberg wrote:

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Well, it started when one poster stated that if all kids didn't claim to have ADHD, this kid would not have been a distraction. A few other posters decided to chime in, stating that there is no such thing as ADHD, or that bad parenting is to blame for a disorder that is recognized in the DSM IV. One poster went so far as to equate ADHD with mental retardation, stating that she was "sick and tired of retarded children being placed in gifted programs." Myself and another adult who have had ADHD since childhood came in to try to educate others on the truths about ADHD. I agree that we may have bird walked from the original topic, but I never pass up an opportunity to try to educate others.

Age wrote:

<quoted text>That explains how the topic took another path. ADHD is certainly misunderstood. I would imagine many people use it as an excuse. I hope you forgive me, but some children are mis-diagnosed because they have high energy levels or need a different teaching approach. Putting young children on medication should always be a last resort. I'm now side tracking myself. Your insights into ADHD should have been welcomed. Thank you.

Suzy Greenberg wrote:

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I wouldn't say that "schools often enforce rules without consulting parents." In every system I have ever worked in, a handbook was given out at the beginning of the year. The first homework assignment every year is to review the handbook with a parent/guardian and have him/her sign that they had reviewed the handbook. The student is also asked to sign. In may cases, the handbook is also available online and may even be part of the child's planner. The handbook not only discusses rules, but also describes different levels of discipline and conditions for those levels of disciplinary action. A student would never be suspended for a dress code violation on the first offense. If a kid showed up with an inappropriate shirt the first time, they would make he/she turn it inside-out. The second time, a phone call would be made or a note would be sent home. With a "hair violation"(?) depending on how extreme, the kid would be told to fix it by the next day or the parents would be called. In this case, the mother was warned several times before action was taken. Nobody suspends on a whim unless the offense was dangerous. As far as I'm concerned, if the information was available and parents are given forewarning, then there is no excuse for not complying. I think she has every right to fight this. However, I do believe that given the rules of the school and the justification that was given of said rules, she should have complied until she won. She had already said that she would send her child to a more accepting system if her son wasn't allowed to keep the haircut and go to school.
Like I said, the reason why it seems that there are so many more rules than there used to be is because the bar is getting higher by the year, and the stakes are already so high so schools that are having difficulty get punished, and the people that suffer the most are the students. Most systems are willing to do anything to ensure that they are able to continue to function. In reality, a similar dress code was in place when I was in school. I don't think the rules are much more harsh or more prevalent now than they used to be when I was a student. Like I said, I wouldn't have made the same decision had I been in the position, however, I can understand why such a decision would be made. Things are much different than they used to be.

elphaba_ wrote:

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Rebellion is natural in the upper grades. It is the nature of the beast so to say. If they are aware though that their rebellion will have consequences and those consequences are fairly meted out then I don't really see an issue.