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Academic Motivation

Are you struggling to get your child to participate in activities he/she once enjoyed?  Is your child capable of getting all A’s in school, but is a consistent C student?  Do you constantly hear how bored or unchallenged your child is at school? Is the amount of whining in your home driving you crazy?  Do you feel as though you have tried everything to motivate them, but nothing has worked? 

Have comfort in the fact that you are not alone.  Lack of motivation and underachieving are a growing trend among today’s children and teens.  This issue is especially prevalent in those students struggling with a developmental/learning disability, such as Autism or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.  This problem with motivation has become so challenging to tackle that many parents are turning to prescription medication as a solution.  However, other effective treatment options such as behavior therapy have proven themselves effective as treatment for motivation issues.

Where to begin?  The first step towards taking action is gaining an understanding of the many variables that factor into your child’s lack of academic motivation.  Trying to tackle the behavior without a thorough understanding of it is like trying to aim for a moving target in the dark.  It can actually do more harm than good.  At Butterfly Effects, we always recommend that a thorough behavior analysis be conducted before any intervention plan is put into place.