Does Your Son Have JAB Syndrome?

http://my.voyager.net/~tutor/jab.htm ^

[Brookhaven]

Just A Boy (JAB) Syndrome is characterized by a person's inattention, distractibility, impulsivity, and in some cases, hyper or hypo activity. It is a naturally occurring phenomenon usually found in children ages 4-20, but may continue into adulthood.  It interferes with a person's ability to function successfully in environments that require a great deal of organization, such as work, school, and home.  Symptoms usually become more noticeable around the middle school age of 12-14, when students are expected to become more responsible and independent.  It is often misidentified as a Learning Disability and misdiagnosed ADD/ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder) in boys. It seems their natural reaction to strains in their social and educational environment makes them prime candidates for inappropriate drug treatment.

The information here should act as a guide to help parents better understand the symptoms, causes, and treatments for JAB.  This informational resource can help you better understand these problems and give you more confidence when instituting an appropriate treatment.

Please note, an actual diagnosis of JAB can only be made by loving parents after experienced professionals have ruled out other possible problems.  This should include a full physical, including hearing and vision, and an assessment of academic skills.  Boys' inattentive behavior is often linked to learning difficulties or social environment, rather than biological factors.  Struggles with literacy, inappropriate teaching (fast, long explanations), irrelevant curriculum, (writing about feelings, opinions, etc.), stress or instability in the home or school, social change (divorce, long stay childcare, rushing or time pressure), all make boys vulnerable to misdiagnosis.

Symptoms of JAB

• Mind wanders from tasks that are uninteresting or difficult, easily distractible
• Finds it difficult to read material unless it is very easy or very, very interesting
• Finds it hard to stay focused on what is being said in conversations, answers questions before they're fully asked, talks before thinking
• Quick tempered, easily upset, irritated by minor annoyances, high and low moods
• Makes quick decisions without thinking about the consequences
• Has difficulty planning in what order to do activities, fails to finish projects, seems to have a cluttered mind or unorganized brain
• Moves hands and feet a lot, makes weird noises, feels more comfortable moving around than sitting still
• Daydreams often, forgetful about homework, materials & chores,
• Becomes extremely engrossed in some activities
• Selective hearing loss, poor listening skills
• Has difficulty following explanations and expressing himself in a logically organized, sequential manner
• Loses homework or turns in work late, frequently misplaces things
• Uses time inefficiently and is always running late

Causes of JAB

• Didn't eat breakfast
• Boredom
• Fluctuating hormones
• Messy bedroom, desk/locker, folders & materials
• More "important" things to do
• No consequences for behavior
• Not getting enough rest or nutritious food
• Long periods of sedentary activity - sitting at desk, watching T. V., etc.
• Poor, ineffective, meaningless and boring instruction

Treatment for JAB

• Rule 1: A place for everything and everything in its place - Always. No exceptions. Parent and child thoroughly clean and organize child's bedroom and bathroom before plan begins.
• Purchase a trapper keeper and large assignment notebook (one with all the days of the week on one page and enough room for each subject/class &; a daily chore list.)  Color-code the subjects in the trapper keeper with the assignment notebook.
• Parent must meet in person with every teacher in contact with the child to explain the situation and to insure whole-hearted cooperation.  This plan will not work if the parent does not have the support of the school.  Assignment notebook must be checked and signed by the teachers every day, for every class/subject period.
• Organization of self - Create a written schedule to be displayed in a prominent place in the child's bedroom or bathroom.  (brush teeth, comb hair, shirt tucked, clothes in hamper, eat breakfast, homework in backpack, "lights out," etc.)  Parent and child check together to make sure everything is completed.
• Organization of stuff - Create a written schedule to be displayed in a prominent place in the kitchen. (homework, chores, clean-up, etc.)  Parent and child check together to make sure everything is completed.
• Rule 2: The child is responsible for the assignment notebook
• Assignment notebook must be looked over daily with child, ideally as soon as s/he arrives home from school.  Teacher signatures must be complete and all materials needed to finish homework assignments must be with the child.  If not, parent must drive the child back to school to pick up necessary material.
• Homework must be neat and complete and placed in back pack as soon as it's finished.  Back pack should be kept by the door the child leaves from to go to school.
• Set up a mutually agreed upon point reward/consequence system.  The reward must be something the child really wants, but within reason and family budget.   It does not have to be monetary.  At first, the reward will need to be frequent enough for the child to feel the immediate benefit.  Rewards should gradually be given further and further apart.
• The consequences of not following the plan must be something the child really doesn't want; no extracurricular sports or activities, no TV. or Nintendo, no going out with friends, no allowance, etc.  (no physical punishment or verbal abuse allowed, including yelling)
• Keep points fair and consistent.
• The parent must not give in or let anything slide.  Be strict!  This will be extremely difficult and tiresome at first.  Behavior might even get worse before it gets better.
• Remember, you are teaching your child priceless skills and good habits that will last long after s/he finishes school.
• Within two months, the parent and child should notice a considerable level of relief from Just A Boy Syndrome.

[anniegetyourgun]

Is this the kind of thing that gives parent ASS - adult stress syndrome?

[AppyPappy]

I think I have this.

[SolitaryMan]

Is 41 too old for JAB?

[mdittmar]

In the "old" days this was called:

Being a little Sh^t.

A swat on the butt straightened me up real quick!

[JRandomFreeper]

no physical punishment or verbal abuse allowed, including yelling

Why not? It worked great on me. Nothing says "pay attention" like a few smacks on the fundament of learning.

/john

[Brookhaven]

I thought this was good because it uses humor to make a serious point.

Thousand of boys have been mis-diagnosed as having ADD and put on drugs because they are just acting like typical boys.

[BADJOE]

I suffered from this back in 54. So I told my public high school to shove their program up their rear, left, went to a private school for the summer and entered college a year early. Five flat years later I had a doctors degree, and have been a very successful "failure" ever since.

It wasn't good for my social developement, you know. : )

[Snardius]

During my formative years I suffered from severe JAB syndrome. During the 15th month of my JAB behavior I came into the living room of my home and discovered my father looking at advertisements of military schools in a new magazine he'd bought. I immediately experienced a miraculous cure.

[SugarRay]

If not addressed at an early age, this can develop into JAM syndrome!!!

[thefactor]

Uh, I seem to have acute episodes of this syndrome once every few hours. Or just a very long, protracted case. I can't decide. Maybe the age range should be extended to 25.

[martin gibson]

Is 41 too old for JAB?

JAOF...?

[mommybain]

Shouldn't this be 'JAC', i.e. 'Just-a-Child' syndrome? My 7 year old daughter has it, as well as the 11 year old son (and let's not talk about the 40-year-old parents!)

Actually we were discussing Adult Stress Syndrome last night after receiving a contract from our daughter's 2nd grade teacher that must be discussed with our 7 year old and signed. Included in this contract is a list of duties to be performed:

Reading folder must be updated, signed and returned to school each Monday.

Daily agenda (yes, our 2nd grader has a school-supplied 'daytimer') to be signed daily.

Weekly folder to be signed and returned weekly, preferably on Monday.

Math facts to be checked and signed daily.

Reading frog (don't ask) to be signed and returned each week.

Whatever happened to plain-old homework with a healthy dose of recess? (rhetorical question)

[kahoutek]

How 'bout

ASSHOLE

Adult Stress Syndrome - Hearing Old Lies in Education

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

"No consequences for behavior."

Ding, ding, ding, ding!
We have a winner!

[Liberals are Evil Socialists!]

I can relate.

[McGruff]

That's my boy, just like his dad.

What were we talking about anyway? Never mind!

[carlo3b]

Just my 2 cents, a single custodial  father, with 2 beautiful teenage boys and a weenie dog, and better recipes than anyone else in the PTA..Ha!!!

JAB is curable

MIX

• a dad, *
• a mom, *
• unwavering love,
• patience,
• understanding,
• sense of humor,
• time,
• monitored education,
• constant communications,
• sensitivity,
• historically accurate documentaries, scary, and stupid movies,
• sports, or music lessons, (be careful of doing both)
• fair rules, and guidelines,
• balanced diet, **
• well maintained sleep habits,
• regular and inventive practical jokes,
• principled parental lifestyle example,
• constant scrutiny,
• Clean and well maintained home environment,
• continuous and deep religious values!

Turn off all distracting noises. Serve with healthy home cooked meals* daily, at a family dinner table, with true appreciation of each member of the family's contribution, and playful conversation.  sports, and
* Dads and Moms are essential, and should be present in all children's lives, whether under the same or different roof!
** (Clinton Legacy Cookbook ....shameful commercial)
NOTE, Read often....All parents should put this on the refrigerator, bathroom mirror, and sun visor.

[SolitaryMan]

JAOF...?

Bingo! Just An Old F@rt

[Brookhaven]

Speaking of weenie dogs. I used to think they were kind of wimpy till I read this.

Bush and Osama decided to settle the war once and for all. They sat down and decided to settle the whole dispute with one dog fight. They would have five years to breed the best fighting dog in the world and whichever side's dog won would be entitled to dominate the world.

Osama found the biggest, meanest Doberman and Rottweiler female dogs in the world and bred them with the biggest, meanest Siberian wolves. They selected only the biggest and strongest puppy from each litter, removed his siblings, which gave him all the milk. After five years they came up with the biggest meanest dog the world had ever seen. It's cage needed steel bars that were five inches thick and nobody could get near it.

When the day came for the dog fight, Bush showed up with a strange looking animal. It was a nine foot long Dachshund. Everyone felt sorry for Bush because they knew there was no way that this dog could possibly last 10 seconds with the Afghanistani dog.

When the cages were opened up, the Dachshund came out of it's cage and slowly waddled over towards Osama's dog. Osama's dog snarled and leaped out of it's cage and charged the American Dachshund.

But, when it got close enough to bite the Dachshund's neck, the Dachshund opened it's mouth and consumed Osama's dog in one bite. There was nothing left at all of his dog.

Osama came up to Bush shaking his head in disbelief. "We don't understand how this could have happened. We had our best people working for five years with the meanest Doberman and Rottweiler female dogs in the world and the biggest, meanest Siberian wolves."

"Da's nothin", said Boudreaux, the Cajun, representing Bush. "We 'ad our bess plasic surgins workin' fo' five year for to make dat alligator look like a weenie dog."