When a child misbehaves at school, it can be disruptive to everyone concerned. Sometimes it may be difficult to know the difference between normal and abnormal behavioral issues. What's considered typical conduct for a 5-year-old might be unacceptable when it's displayed by a 12-year-old. When a child acts out in school, it may be due to a personality issue or a behavioral disorder.
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
A child with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may find it difficult to pay attention at school. The American Academy of Family Physicians says the primary features of ADHD include lack of focus and impulsiveness ADHD can interfere with a child's ability to listen and follow instructions. A child may be forgetful and disorganized, making him apt to lose school assignments and parental notes. A child with ADHD may be fidgety, overly talkative and unable to wait for her turn in class.
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
While it's normal for a child to occasionally become upset and irritable, a child with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is almost constantly disruptive and argumentative. This can cause numerous problems at school as he shows a blatant disregard for the rules, challenges authority figures and intentionally annoys classmates. A child with ODD may find it hard to make and keep friends and often seeks revenge on others.
Exteme Shyness
Sometimes a child is so shy that it interferes with her day-to-day functioning at school. An extremely bashful child does not adjust as easily as her peers in the classroom or on the playground, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. The longer this pattern persists, the harder it becomes for a timid child to become more socially confident.
Peer Rejection
A child may be rejected by his classmates for being overweight or lacking in personal hygiene, or because of the clothes he wears. In some cases, a child is rejected by his peers because of his disruptive behavior that may be due to a behavioral disorder. A child may also be labeled an outcast by his peers for no apparent reason. Whatever the cause for dismissal, a rejected child is made to feel unwanted and unwelcome. He may respond by bullying classmates and breaking rules.
