Ability to focus in class

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Is it typical for Asperger's kids to have extreme difficulty focusing in the
classroom? My son passes tests,but cannot complete classwork,the
teachers say they have to get him back on task every 5 minutes,because
he will be staring off into space or at other children,his hands,anything but
his work. It has been this way since kindergarten,he is now in 5th grade
for the 2nd time. They thought it best,because of his issues and inability
to focus,immaturity the call it. He has been on every medication,they do
not work,just gave him tics in addition to his not being able to focus in the
classroom setting. It is almost like everything around him is distracting,even
the smallest things. I am at a loss how else to help him at school. It really
makes him stand out,so he can never seem to make or keep friends. Will
this get better with age?

...

I find it difficult to focus on anything unless I enjoy it, and I can only write essays, do homework, etc. if I am under a lot of pressure to get it done (e.g. it is due the next day or in a short amount of time).

I have had a lot of trouble focusing in high school and sometimes passing tests. I had very little time to study at home, which was a double whammy. But that was the payoff for my school, as every student stays an extra 3 hours after school for art tutoring. So I was perfectly happy getting straight B's. The sad thing is that I even got B's in classes that I could have gotten A's. But who knows? That may have caused me to get a C in a class I was weaker in. I just cannot multitask.

Shockingly, I did not have that much of an issue staying focused in my community college summer classes. They were longer classes, but I had only one a day, and I did take some interesting courses. My classmates were unbelievably quiet compared to high school, so I did not get distracted by that. I always have to drink coffee in order to stay completely focused, though.