Are Children Who Underachieve Lazy?

Do your child’s academic reports contain comments such as “not working up to potential?” What does that mean?  I receive many “emergency” calls from parents once they receive progress reports and report cards.  They are confused and scared.  A common question is whether their child is lazy. Parents often tell me how their children did well for a period only to then demand more and more of their parents’ time to supervise, assist and even complete their homework and projects.  Is this a common occurrence in your household?

I do not believe that children decide to become lazy.  I do believe that children mask feelings of fear, embarrassment, anger and sadness as apathy. They can develop a fairly sophisticated set of behaviors to defend against those feelings. They may come across as lacking interest, may begin “forgetting” books, turning in poorly done or sloppy assignments, barely passing exams, blaming teachers and their parents as being too demanding, and sometimes, completely refusing to engage at school.  These behaviors tend to surface in transition years: third/fourth grade, middle school/junior high, high school and college. 

In the next several posts, I will focus on alternative explanations for “laziness” drawing on medical, cognitive, neuropsychological, academic/achievement and psychological perspectives. 
 

Medical Considerations:

Generally the child’s pediatrician is the first point of call for many parents seeking explanations for their child’s changed behavior, and rightfully so:  general health significantly impacts our ability to learn and retain information.  Vision and hearing deficits are a possible explanation for a perceived lack of interest.  Diet, exercise and sleep also may impact learning.  Before considering any other probable cause, a medical clearance is highly recommended.

Overall Intelligence:
 
Assessing a child’s overall level of cognitive functioning is an excellent next step.  Cognitive assessments provide a foundation for performance expectations and reveal relative intellectual strengths and weaknesses. 
 

Neuropsychological Considerations:
 

Neuropsychology refers to the relationship between the nervous system, especially the brain, and cerebral or mental functions such as language, memory, and perception. Determining your child’s learning style is an essential tool in determining the fit between a teacher’s instructional style and the ability of the child to assimilate what is being presented.  Is your child a visual, auditory or combined modality learner? Individual differences in working memory and long-term memory storage, as well as issues related to attention, focus and hyperactivity also are included in the neuropsychology category.  Some or all of these processes may impact your child’s motivation as well as their academic success.

Academic/Achievement Considerations:
 

What has been your child’s academic history?  Were there remarkable differences during their transitional years?  To what types of educators did your child most enthusiastically respond?  What was the student to teacher ratio when your child seemed to flourish?  Grades are not the only benchmark of academic proficiency, nor are the annual standardized STAR or IOWA basic skills testing administered by the schools. There are specialized testing protocols that can help assess everything from reading comprehension to math fluency and writing mechanics. 

Psychological Considerations:
 

The final category for consideration is psychological.  Low self-esteem, fear of failure and social embarrassment are all-too-common causes of performance issues.  Significant life events like births, deaths, divorce and relocation also greatly affect children.  Occasionally your child may even be suffering from depression or anxiety, both of which may appear very different in children than what we would expect to see in adults. 

Psychological factors are complicated and can be difficult to isolate. The good news is that most of these issues can be successfully addressed through a period of professional counseling.  

The categories are now outlined.  Does your child fit one and only one category? Not likely.  Frequently the causes are multi-dimensional.  Uncovering what may be impacting your child’s lack of motivation does not necessarily result in a diagnosis!  The main concern is that parents label their children “lazy” or “unmotivated” and then levy stricter punishments or restrictions prior to determining whether they are warranted.  The quality of your relationship with your child, a more chaotic home environment and a source of contention between you and your spouse may be at stake!  This is a situation that requires qualified professional intervention.   Assuming you see value in exploring alternatives to the label of “laziness,” stay tuned…. my next post will explain how to proceed.