Sometimes you have to put aside the BF Skinner behavioral modification

[no_hypocrisy]

and use common sense.

I substitute teach in a public school. I'm honored that I'm placed in classes for special needs students. Levels fourth grade to eighth grade. I've known some of them since they were six years old.

Yesterday, one lad (12 years old) was really having a bad day. Refusing to work, shouting, cursing (yeah, the "f word" ), yelling for his classmates to "shut the f*ck up" when they weren't even talking, throwing things, hitting his aide. Not behaving like his usual self.

My first impression was maybe it was the stirrings of puberty with hormones in the driver's seat. I observed some more. I went to his aide and whispered, "He's acting this way b/c he's constipated." She looked me incredulously, thought about it, and figured, "Hey, we've tried everything else . . . . "

He was led to the classroom bathroom, stayed for about 10 minutes. When he emerged, all the anger was gone. Apparently he WAS constipated and his "stomach" really hurt badly, but he couldn't connect the problem with a solution.

My point: some things in education have nothing to do with psychology and theories. It's the child.


Research summary
In our clinical practice, parents consistently report a number of abnormal behavioural patterns like irritability, aggression, temper tantrums, disrupted sleep patterns, straining and withholding behaviour more frequently in children with constipation.
https://www.hra.nhs.uk/planning-and-improving-research/application-summaries/research-summaries/behavioral-problems-in-childhood-constipation/#:~:text=In%20our%20clinical%20practice%2C%20parents,frequently%20in%20children%20with%20constipation.