Son calling out answers, can't keep quiet

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We are having problems with our 6 year son calling out the answers at school. (He is high functioning Aspergers). Don't get me wrong, it's great that he seems to know all the answers but it has become a problem. He does not give the other kids a chance to try, and is becoming a nuisance. He gets annoyed that the other NT kids don't know things and keeps blurting it out. The school have tried "Be Quiet" visual cards to remind him to be quiet, but in the end his 1:1 ends up removing him from group sessions because he wont be quiet.

Anyone had this problem, and can offer any ideas?

Look, I don't want to be mean, but when I grew up (eighties) this was solved
very simply. The child was being punished. If we misbehaved, we (me, ADHD
peers and also NT's) were isolated and had to sit somewere outside the class
room.

"Group sessions" what does this mean? Circle time? sitting at the desks as a class? Group discussions? If this is informal discussion, an aspie/autistic will have an impossible time trying to figure out timing and turn-taking. If it's classtime at the desks, all he needs to know is to "raise his hand to talk". That should be the rule for all children. "Wait to be called on"
My son has had a terrible time with the less structured aspects of school. But he needs to be accomodated if that's his trouble. He needs to be coached on waiting his turn. Maybe play a group game at home with guessing? Something that you need to take turns?

Problems arise when the kids sit as a group on the carpet. I guess it is an informal situation, and he just doesn't understand giving someone else a chance to work things out.

I think we'll have to practice with role play at home. I had wondered whether the teacher might be better off removing him from these sessions on the carpet. Then again he needs to get the hang of it somehow...

I always called the answers out. Especially when the teacher asked if anyone knew the answer. My parents stood up for me and said "If you don't want him to answer than you must tell him".

I seriously had no problem in circle or group if the teacher asked "Does anyone besides peter have the answer?" Because it is misleading and frustrating when the teacher said "does anyone have the answer" I would blurt it out and then get in trouble for providing a valid answer to a stated question. I could never understand/tolerate when a teacher (whom I am required to answer) asks a question she does not want me to answer. I think it is unreasonable behavior on the educational system's part to force children to "stay back" with the rest of the class.

I hate Circle Time and this is definitely a trouble spot for autistics. Make sure that
a)your son can have an assigned seat
b)your son is okay with actually being on the carpet, he may need to sit on a chair
c)he may need to sit in the very front or the very back
d)that he knows what Circle time is for, it may be obvious to you and the teacher, but your son needs to have it explained

Punishing him for answering questions that aren't formally organized is cruel. Break down the activity into steps for him.
"Circle Time is for fun questions. The teacher likes to hear from several students during this time. That means students need to take turns when they know the answer. The teacher will call on students when they raise their hands"

Something like this. I will also advise that many teachers hate to explain their activities or schedules. But you must stress the importance of sharing this information, it will help your child participate more productively. You can review the activity list with your son at home but someone must also do it with him at school, so he understands its context.

When I have something in my head it actually bothers me not to verbilize it.I think it is part of AS to interupt and it takes a lot of practice to control this(almost like OCD or a tic?)Also,if he knows the answer but has to wait for the others to catch up...he is probably bored and just wants to get to the next question to challenge his brain again....thinking is a form of stimming,it feels good.
It used to drive me nuts(even into highschool)when classmates would just sit there and not answer...it was a waste fo time and cut into how much I could learn(particulary in Lit classes,which I loved).

Call on raised hands,it's simple and easy to follow rule but not always when you are intellectually ahead and bored with the slow kids.

Ha! My children forbade me going to watch them at Bible Quiz after I accidentally blurted the answer and got them disqualified.

my daughter, age 9, still has trouble with calling out the answers. she's gotten better over the years, but still has to be reminded to raise her hand.......she has a card taped to her desk to remind her to raise her hand. some days it works, some days it doesn't

Hmm...

I've always called out the answers before anyone, yet I was encouraged in doing so.

Hi! My son does this also, so far the teacher hasn't complained.

I read some where that a good idea is to try a talking stick (or other special item) the teacher needs to teach the kids that it is their turn to talk when they have the item in their hand. This also helps those that are to scared to talk or dont talk much. Every child should be encouraged and praised for talking when its their turn, regardless of if they said anything relevant.

I say good on your son for being clever, this is probably one of the only areas he is excelling and the other NT kids are feeling left out.
What about when he feels left out socially? ( thats if he is) He shouldn't be getting removed for doing what he thinks is expected of him.

All of your comments are comforting. We have tried many ways of encouraging him to take turns - teacher would throw/pass an object to whichever child she would like to answer a question. They have tried reasoning with him, telling him off, etc, etc. He still calls out all the answers. Then at the end of the week I get moaned at by the Headmistress because of it. I have weekly meeting with the school to discuss any issues they've had during the week. This problem is just one that will not go away.

As many of you with AS have said you used to do this, I think the school might have to put up and shut up. It probably is a bit like a tic for him. I'm really pleased that he knows all the answers of course!

On the money, krex! Z, 11, has had this problem of "blurting out" answers without being called on for years. All of his teachers have agonized over it though they continually praise him for how much he knows. The hard thing for him to grasp is that other students need more time to process some information than he does. He is very gradually coming to understand that by letting others answer he can learn about different views on a subject.

Collywobble, it will take a lot of time, patience and a variety of methods, ever changing because your son will get bored with one method, before your he learns this particular skill. As I said Z has had 5 more years to practice it and still hasn't gotten it right

I had a lot of embarassing moments throughout my school years (didn't know until adulthood that I had AS) over things like this. Mostly I learned better social behaviors by constant humiliation and punishment. That works, but it's cruel and it makes a person really bitter. Coddling isn't the answer either, and I think many schools are doing way too much coddling because we live in such a politically correct atmosphere where children are just supposed to be accepted no matter what they do. Drugs to modify behavior is acceptable and preferable to standard discipline in our modern society. I don't like it myself, I think that warps a person's mind and the drugs are horridly over-prescribed.

I think role-playing would be helpful. Sometimes when someone explains something to me, I don't get it, but if I can observe it - it makes perfect sense. This is why drawing social stories or role-playing works so well for us aspies. You could start there and see how it goes. It might take time, even if your child does understand, it isn't always easy to apply the knowledge to the real world right away.

Sounds like a really bright kid who is enthusiastic about learning and sharing the knowledge he has - that's awesome! Encourage that, just let him know that (while people love how smart he is) he has to give other kids (who might have to think harder about the answers) a chance too.

Heck, I'm still super eager to share what I know! I love being asked questions I can answer, or find answers to.

My son was just diagnosed. He is 15. When he was little (all Elementary school years and some Middle School) he would also blurt out the answers continiously. This got him in trouble all the time. Some of the teachers totally RESENTED him for it, like he was taking the other kids' right to participate. We got all sort of complains about this.

Now in high school he will not volunteer to answer anything. So the teachers complain about never answering questions and not participating. I suppose the school system "taught" him that.

I was like that a lot throughout school. It was hard for me to sit and keep quiet when I knew an answer so at first I amused myself by causing trouble. Then I found more appropriate ways ok keeping myself occupied every once in a while that the teacher found more acceptable.

I remember this:

Teacher: How do you spell psychologist
Me: S-H-R-I-N-K

What teachers really hated is when I challenged the information they were providing and proved them wrong.