Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Anderson
Ask the mom how she deals with him. See if she can give you hints on how to redirect him into something less disruptive.
Maybe you can find him a "buddy" who doesn't mind the chatter and can give him constant reminders on what the immediate task is and how to get it done. That would probably result in the two of them together doing much less work than any other single person, but it might be preferable to throwing the kid off the team.
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Although it may be difficult to find the right person, this is a really good suggestion. We have had similar experiences and have not yet found a very good solution.
Unfortunately the parents are often at a loss and are hoping that you will be the perfect solution for their child who is really interested technology. We of course hope we can find something that holds their interest. Enlisting the help of the parents to even stay at meetings (maybe not all the time but at least on occasion or in the beginning) to help provide insight can also be helpful. But it can be very difficult if parents are just looking for a babysitting service, ie. a place to drop them off for a few hours at a time.
Teachers can be great resources if your team is associated with a school. You definitely have to be aware of the potential issues and options noted by Seth. Teachers and other school officials can really help in that capacity but you should also know that sometimes their hands are tied with regards to providing information as well.
Good Luck.