EXPERT ANALYSIS FROM AAP 2017
CHICAGO (FRONTLINE MEDICAL NEWS) – Pediatricians should take it seriously when parents come to an office visit with school or daycare behavior concerns involving even very young children, because suspension or expulsion may be a looming risk.
Young African American boys are particularly at risk, said Claire Lerner, a senior parenting specialist with the nonprofit organization Zero to Three in Washington.
Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Ms. Lerner cited data from 2005 showing that 10.4% of prekindergarten (preK) teachers had expelled at least one child for behavior problems during the previous year, yielding a preK expulsion rate of 6.7 per 1,000 students. This contrasts with a K-12 expulsion rate of 2.1 per 1,000 students.
In addition to screening for behavior problems in the early years, pediatricians should be attuned to parental concerns and stand ready to facilitate mental and behavioral health referrals early, before a daycare or preK situation escalates.
“What I would say to you is that if a parent, or school, or caregiver comes to you and says, ‘The teacher’s concerned about X,’ don’t dismiss it. I cannot tell you how many times parents have come to me and said, ‘Well, the pediatrician says he’s totally fine. He’s just two.’”
This is not to blame pediatricians, said Ms. Lerner. Rather, “it’s to help you remember that teachers are smart, and they’re with these kids in a natural environment all day long. …You are seeing such a random, finite, artificial experience in that room that you don’t see what’s going on in the classroom.” The child’s interactions with other children — usually the impetus for disciplinary action — will not necessarily be apparent in the pediatrician’s office.
Often, said Ms. Lerner, the child in question isn’t picking up on verbal and physical clues from other children, leading to behavior that’s seen as inappropriate or aggressive by other children — and by staff. “A lot of these kids have motor planning problems, meaning they don’t know how to take their idea and execute it, so they’re the ones who are knocking down towers, and in kids’ faces. …Those are the things that I’m talking about that are very unlikely to be picked up in a pediatric well-child visit,” she said.
“The evidence tells us that gender and race matter” in preschool suspensions and expulsions, said Ms. Lerner, noting that black preschool children are 3.6 times as likely as white children to be given an out-of-school suspension.
Black boys, she said, are 19% of male preschool attendees but make up 45% of the preschool children who receive out-of-school suspensions. Black girls make up 20% of female preschool attendees, but 54% of preschool girls who receive out-of-school suspensions are black.
In public preschools, 78% of those suspended are boys, though they make up just 54% of the attendees.
Aside from the home and work disruption caused by these suspensions, Ms. Lerner said that later outcomes are much worse for young students who are expelled or suspended, stacking the deck further against success. Rates of dropping out of high school, grade retention, and incarceration may be up to 10 times higher for these children.
Many school-related factors, including a higher child-teacher ratio and a longer school day, are associated with higher rates of preschool expulsion. Also, teachers who report more job stress are more likely to mete out suspensions or expulsions. By contrast, the availability of behavioral consultations reduces the risk of expulsion.
Within the realistic constraints of a busy pediatric practice, what can a physician do?
At the very least, said Ms. Lerner, pay attention when a parent comes to you and says, “My child’s getting in trouble in the classroom, and I’m afraid he’s going to get kicked out.” At that point, she said, the pediatrician should get in touch with the school. An approach that can be used in communicating with the school is to say, “We’re not seeing that, but we want to learn more,” said Ms. Lerner.
Just the fact that a pediatrician or his or her team members would reach out to the teacher for collaboration helps the teacher and school or daycare center realize that the family is taking the concerns seriously, said Ms. Lerner. “I will tell you that even just that phone call changes what happens for that kid,” she said.
Facilitating appropriate behavioral and mental health evaluations allows those professionals to become part of the problem-solving team for the child, school, and family.
Physicians can also help children and families by being familiar with the Americans with Disabilities Act safeguards for children with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a 504 Plan and making sure that families know about these protections.
Within the larger context of the school district and the community, a pediatrician’s voice can be a powerful advocacy tool to lobby against zero tolerance policies, and for stronger prevention and outreach strategies to help avoid out-of-school suspensions and expulsions for the very young. “There are things you can do — starting tomorrow — that will change the course for these children,” said Ms. Lerner.
Ms. Lerner is employed by Zero to Three. She reported no conflicts of interest.
