Talk

The more you share, the more insight you can get from the teacher. Describe your child’s behavior in detail and ask what the teacher is seeing. Say you’d like help in understanding your child’s behavior.

Give detailed examples of what you’ve observed. If you’ve picked up on patterns, explain what they are. Talk about how things are going at school, too. That gives the doctor a fuller picture of what’s happening.

Start by saying you’d like to get the caregiver’s take on behavior you’ve seen in your child. Make it clear that it’s not about how they interact with your child. Ask open-ended questions about what they’ve noticed.

Open the dialogue by calmly explaining what you’ve observed and asking if your partner has seen the same thing. Know that your partner may not respond the way you would and might not be ready to talk at first.

Your child has insights nobody else does. This may not be the time for a conversation, but if your child seems ready to share, you might mention what you’re seeing: “I’ve noticed that it’s hard for you to follow directions.” See how your child responds.