Reader’s Question

I have an 8-year-old son, who has recently started hitting himself in his head when he gets angry. He’s also displaying an inability to focus on a task. I’m wondering what I could do to stop him from hitting himself and to help him focus more on the task at hand?

Our Clinical Psychologist’s Reply

The behaviors you describe are often associated with ADHD — Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. I would recommend consultation with a psychologist or other mental health professional to evaluate the exact nature of the behavior. Counseling would also be helpful to reduce the hitting episodes. Your son is experiencing a lot of frustration which probably prompted the self-hitting behavior.

I’ve often seen this situation in children with moderate ADHD. They can control their behavior well enough for the first few school years and are often seen as energetic or even the class clown. As the school academics become more complicated and require more focus and attention, the child becomes frustrated, especially in classes such as math. A professional consulation is your best option at this time. You may also receive some help from your school after consulting with the teachers.