Reality

. Things have been really tough for the past couple of months. Fourth grade is a huge challenge for Jon. Academically, he should not have any problems. He is an A - B student. Very smart. But....his anxiety is causing issues. We are at the end of the first nine week grading period and he is failing every academic subject. The teachers allow the kids to re-test on the important grades. They provide extra teaching sessions, make them do corrections on the initial test and then give them another chance. Jon failed to attend one re-test and got a 30% on another. His answers were random and nonsense. There were missing worksheets that he did at home and were in his binder as he left the house, but never made it to school. Homework with food all over it. Torn worksheets. Missing work.
  Why? I have several theories but no definitive answers. Also, we are revisiting some nasty bathroom behaviors. Pee and poo all over the bathroom. On the floor. On the wall above the toilet. On the cabinets next to the toilet. On the bath tub. Everywhere. Plus toothpaste on the tub, the floor, the toilet, etc. And then, deodorant smeared all over the mirror. Nasty messages written in deodorant on the mirror. Nice.
  Lots of tears and temper tantrums. Treating me very nastily. Just acting out any way he can think of. He is hurting himself, sabotaging himself. We tell him this but he doesn't get it. So last week, I let him "accidentally" overhear me talking to his Dad. I to,d him how worried I was that because he had only been promoted 'conditionally' to fourth grade that if his grades were failing they would move him back to third grade now. I told him how upset I was by that idea and how awful it would be for Jon. He would lose all his friends, be with littler kids, and be so embarrassed. Surprisingly, ever since that day he has been scoring in the upper 80's to 100 on every assignment. I knew he could do it! We have been giving him great praise and congrats. Maybe, just maybe, he is turning this around. Oh please, let that be the case!!!!