My child does this when he is getting stressed, and for a 12 year old it is unacceptable behavior and disruptive to the class. Be careful not to let something go on that you will have to put and end to later when the child is older. I would not encourage this. JMHO
I posted this under another topic today:
Here's a visual script (in PDF and Boardmaker formats) for overcoming inappropriate laughter at school:
http://www.setbc.org/pictureset/resource.aspx?id=64
Inappropriate laughter is considered a sign of rising stress level in many cases. I thought this was interesting:
<quote>
What are the “small signs” of stress rising?
These will vary depending on the student. It is important
to identify these subtle behaviour changes
in your ASD student in order to intervene before
more spectacular negative behaviours occur. Here
are some behaviours you might see:
• Small “tics” and repetitive behaviours
(eg. eyeblinks, facial grimaces, nose or throat noises,
head movements, arm or hand movements)
• Language scripting
(eg. reciting language froma movie or book, apparently unrelated to the
situation) - certain phrases may reliably indicate
stress (eg. “Do I
have to do it?”)• Distressed or angry facial expression
• Whole body movement
(eg. getting up fromdesk and pacing, rocking, throwing things)
• Inappropriate laughter
• Rising volume and/or tone of voice
<unquote>
Alot of times, and with my son this is true, trying to discourage only increases the behavior. At her childs age and with the behavior in question getting it out of his system seems to be the best option but only his mom will know for sure what is right or wrong for her situation. Giving him a time to do the laughing will make it appropriate and not disruptive and it can help him learn to control it. Even at 12 kids can be given a time and a place to get this out of their system and destress and return to class.
If this is a stress reaction extingushing it will only cause something else to come up and take its place. Could be something much more disruptive than laughing.
I certainly don't want you to think I am against laughing in School, I'm not. Especially when their laughing at something that is funny the Teacher has said. As you said he just needs to get it out at the right time. I agree with this. And I am all for positive redirection. I don't think the child should get in trouble for this, just saying for my son, inappropriate laughing when there is nothing funny going on, has caused problems in the classroom for his Teachers. Redirection is great, not punishment. I can see your point zayzer, only Mom knows for sure if this is stress related or a way of him fitting in, attention seeking or avoidance or just plain kid stuff. In my situation if my son starts something like this, he does not out grow it, If he gets away with it , he will always try it again and again. and I realize that is just my son, but when a Teachers voices concern and the child does not listen to Teacher it could become a bigger issue maybe not in kindergarten but in future grades. Extinguishing it without an alternative could cause something more destructive, but I feel an alternative way of dealing with this now will help him in the long run. There always has to be a substitute for behavior you want to change first, before changing a non desirable behavior. At least in my son case. My son now has a sensory diet in place at School and it has worked wonders for the less than desirable behavior.I wouldn't extinguish laughter in a kid for any reason. It seems like if it is getting that bad the school should do a FBA to find out the cause/purpose and to come up with solutions in the form of a BIP. In kindergerten my NT kids had lots of breaks inside and outside. And when the kids go out they laugh and scream and play like they were caged up for too long.
In preschool the kids play a song called (I think) shake the sillies out where they laugh jump up and down and get all those sillies out.
I don't see anything wrong with this. I still think , and this is JMO that accomedating this in a constructive way is much better that trying to extinguish it and replaceing it all together. If this is stress he is getting it out in a positive way. He just needs help getting it out at the right time. Or noticing when he needs to do this and ask for a break.
Even my 3rd and 5th graders laugh in class. Usually in response to something the teacher says. Either they have a lot of comedians in my childrens school or the teachers know something.
This can be redirected in a positive way with out the child thinking he done something wrong.
I must interene here
I think the teacher also would know the difference between a laugh for fun and a laugh out of stress. Her concerns are not really the laughing itself but the duration, so putting a time limit on it would be a great idea also.
Thanks
carol
4 yo ds laughs and makes his brother laugh and then they just can't stop! He likes to imitate his 2 yo brothers laugh during this time. It's completely obnoxious but really cute. I can see it being a problem in school though. The laugh time idea is a great idea!!!
That's right Zayzer! I think your success will be about how you pitch it (sell it) to the Teacher - laugh time could be at the beginning of the day and allow the kids to get all there silliness out or later in the day and be used as a motivational tool. Or both. This way when your son wants to start laughing and get everyone else to laugh, then the teacher can say no no Michael it's not laugh time. It just might work.
At first I thought this idea sounded too much like trying to change the rest of the world instead of your son, but then I realized that it is only kindergarten - however as you know at some point your son will need to change behaviors as the rest of the world will not.
Edit: although you don't want to completely eliminate laughing for the rest of the day, maybe you can call it "Too Much Laughing Time", I'm sure you'll figure it out, you're on the right track.
Thats a great idea. Can i suggest something like that to the teacher??? without overstepping my boundaries as a parent???
Sure you can. She could probably use a good laugh her self. Who would not want to hear kids laughter? It would be much better to have it scheduled than to have it occur randomly(personally I would love that too) and the kids can get rid of stress. I can imagine all the kids looking forward to laugh time. It could even be motivating.
It seems my son has been going into hysterics in school, and dragging all the kids in the class down with him, He is laugh is quite contagious. The teacher has informed me several times about this. She didn't call today but Michael actually told me at bedtime tonight that he laughed today alot in school, i asked him if he stopped when teacher asked him to, He said NOOOOO and started laughing.
Does anyone have any suggestions for this type of behavior??? I really think now he knows when he laughs the other kids will laugh too and thats why he does it.
I like Zayzers idea! Also, my ds went through a period of doing this,but has since stopped. I dont know what caused it or stopped it. But it sounds like he is a happy guy!