Outstanding advice already given. My son is about to start kindergarten too. Several months ago, he started hitting when he was frustrated by a task he could not do or an action by a peer (ie not sharing on playground). I used social stories to give him a plan of what to do when he felt 'cornered' by a task or person. In addition, his language skills improved so he was able to vocalize his feelings and explain the situation. Also, if we are about to go to a place where I predict there may be a problem I can remind him of what is appropriate behavior before we arrive. The hitting has decreased dramatically and it's no longer an issue now. He does still have a temper that is quick to flare. I just ordered a children's book that teaches anger management through relaxation and deep breathing. The Angry Octopus ....http://www.stressfreekids.com/151/angry-octopus I am also very aware of how I react to things when my son is around as he learns by example.

My son is now 15 and has had a history of aggression for what feels like forever. The first question I have is, what triggers the aggression? We began an Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence chart. The Consequence needs to be placed on the Antecedent box and the reaction to it must be placed in the Behavior box. Ex. Antecedent: Child cannot express need Behavior: Child throws blocks at classmate Consequence: Time out Antecedent: Time out Behavior: Child runs out of classroom crying Consequence: Teacher talks to child to try to calm, etc.... This way you can begin to see what triggers the behavior, what interventions work and what interventions do not. In my personal experience,it became obvious that he was in an educational environment that did not provide him with the things he needed to succeed and we had to fight the school district for placement in a school with qualified staff, supports and research based instruction. This is only our example. I have read about other parents that have worked with educators and school administrators with success, so advocating for your child while working with the school is an important first step. The A.B.C. chart was an important tool that helped us determine what set him off, what worked and what didn't so it was clear to everyone involved what he needed, what to do in therapy to improve his tolerance to certain stimuli, what did not work, and what made things even worse. Getting a Neuropsychological evaluation has also been valuable because it made my son's abilities clear, which helped greatly for IEP's and his educational placement. My heart goes out to you and your child. I have seen first hand the agony my son experienced, frustration at the lack of understanding others have about the reasons for the frustration, guilt and sadness for other students hurt by my son, and the panic after each incident because I felt everything I did failed to help everyone involved. Another note that has helped me to help my son was to know, without doubt, that my son was not the naughty, evil little boy that he was made out to be. He was trying to cope with things that he could not. It tore him apart emotionally as well. All he wanted to do was be good and make people happy, but no one saw that because of his actions. Perception also played a part because he was not able to understand why he was punished for being pushed beyond his limits. His behavior is the result of his needs not being met, not because he wants to hurt people. Also, I deeply regret providing consequences at home for what happened at school. It made things worse for everyone involved. School is extremely stressful for our kids. When they get home, they NEED to unwind and have some kind of enjoyment. Emotional problems develop if they constantly feel bad, especially when they are really trying their hardest. Hope this helps. If you are comfortable with it, please keep me posted on how both of you are doing. I really feel for you both and I wish I had someone who understood when I went through it.

Very glad that the resources are effective and that he is improving! :)