“My son is failing in school. Should I consult a counselor?”
My son was a bright and hardworking student. However, his grades have been falling and we aren't sure why. Should I consult a counselor to manage this better?
16 Answers
Why wouldn't you consult with a counselor and or a therapist?
He also should have routine physical exam if he hasn't had a recent one.
There may be underlying psychological issues that need to be addressed in psychotherapy. Sometimes medication can also be helpful
He also should have routine physical exam if he hasn't had a recent one.
There may be underlying psychological issues that need to be addressed in psychotherapy. Sometimes medication can also be helpful
Definitely
Of course you should. Maybe he is depressed, or something else is happening that affects him
He should have an evaluation which should include a drug screen.
Yes, consulting with a counselor can help you and your son understand the reason behind his academic decline. Explore for the possibility of depression, drug use, anxiety or other mental illness.
Hi,
Thank s for your question. I would suggest that you try talking to your son first, he might be able to tell you why his grades are doping. If he does not want to talk to you, or does not know why his grades are dropping talking to a counselor might help.
You can start by seeing the school counselor, unless you suspect a more serious problem.
Hope this helps.
Yvonne Hall, MD
Thank s for your question. I would suggest that you try talking to your son first, he might be able to tell you why his grades are doping. If he does not want to talk to you, or does not know why his grades are dropping talking to a counselor might help.
You can start by seeing the school counselor, unless you suspect a more serious problem.
Hope this helps.
Yvonne Hall, MD
Sure! Sorry to hear this.
Please you should encourage to see a counselor as he can various other issues and we need to get him proper help.
All the best.
Please you should encourage to see a counselor as he can various other issues and we need to get him proper help.
All the best.
I would. Failing grades COULD be a sign of anxiety, depression, or other mental issues.
Absolutely, and don’t delay....there are many reasons why this may be occuring from difficulty in a particular subject or with a specific teacher to bullying to a girlfriend, to a specific medical problem from diabetes to depression, to use of drugs....so a therapist is a great place to begin as they can ask the initial questions and guide you on what are next steps....the sooner the better..so you can get your son back on track as his bright and wonderful self...sincerely, Dr. Amy
Yes, definitely. If the school psychologist suggests an outside (private) professional arrange an appointment with a LMFT, LCSW or PHD psychologist. After sev"eral sessions if the above professional has concerns your son is clinically depressed, he or she will recommend you son be seen by a psychiatrist. Talk to your son, if you haven't already. Ask him what is bothering him. Dig if you have to. Ask specific questions--for example: "is there a teacher you don't like?". " Is anyone picking on you?". Are there any classes you enjoy, or particularly dislike? Are you tired of being in school?'" "Is there anything I can do as your parent to help you?" If your son is a teen, this is a difficult time for many youths, as they try to figure our their path in life. Especially boys may have a tendency to keep it all bottled up. Go see you regular primary care doc too. Get a thyroid test, and an EKG. Also a urine tox screen to make sure he is not using illicit drugs, which might have a huge effect and not be noticeable to you, the parent.
It would be a good decision for an expert opinion. Your son might feel more comfortable talking to a professional to rule out any alarming symptoms that he is not able to share with a parent.
There are certain learning disabilities the can cause grades to drop off during the year. It is not a reflection on intelligence, so a mental health professional who is capable of making a diagnosis of LD should be consulted. If there is a learning problem most schools are capable of creating a program to fit your son's learning methods.
He needs to be evaluated as to why his grades are being affected, which is RED flag for students. It may be some stress, trauma, anxiety or something else going on.
Clearly, your son has the intelligence to succeed. I might first check to see if there is a school counselor who can assess what has changed - you could also get names of counselors in your area and ask for a more comprehensive assessment.
There are many reasons why this could be happening. Each suggests that he needs to be evaluated to intervene. Counselors are not as well-trained as psychiatrists to make diagnoses, but a good counselor can usually tell when they need to refer someone to someone who is for diagnoses.
Definitely, or a therapist of psychiatrist
