help pls- my boy w/PDD-NOS/hyperlexia refuses home/classwork

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We're in a pickle here, please help! My 6 year old has pdd/nos with hyperlexia, is on low dose prozac for anxiety. He's in first grade in a fabulous integrated setting with very good, caring teachers. He's extremely bright but being hyperlexic he has problems with reading comprehension. Recently he began refusing to do classwork and homework, kicking and hitting his very sweet teachers and 1-on-1 aide, and I'm trying to figure out why. I have some ideas- work sent home looks very easy for him, maybe can't focus on it? Anxiety getting in the way? Tested out of OT last summer, maybe upper body is losing strength and he's finding it hard to write?

If anyone has personally experienced this problem in their early elementary years, or has children who've experienced this, I'd love to hear from you.

Thank you so much!

I have to believe it has to do with the fact that school is from whatever hours that school is. At that young of an age, no kid wants homework, or work at all. Now add the fact that he's hyperlexic and pdd-nos and you have a recipe for disaster. He doesnt feel its right that his time should be used on something he's not intrested in. And unfortunately, people on the autistic spectrum tend to refuse things they're not intrested in. There doesnt have to be a reason for him other than just not wanting to do it.

How do you correct this? Its hard as hell, but you have to make him want to learn. If he has anything he really loves, like a certain sport or something, a favorite actor, show him how it would be IMPOSSIBLE to do/be the same if he weren't educated. Help him understand its a part of life that cant be fixed.

On a side note, sure the teachers are nice and sweet, especially in front of you(thats everyone). But what about his classmates, and dont take the teacher's or aide's word for it. You need to talk to your son and make sure he understands he has the right to feel comfortable in his learning environment.

Aspies(people on the spectrum in general) need more than extra help, they need the right atmosphere. If other kids are allowed to goof around while he's still trying to do his work, he'll stop because he cant concentrate(I did). If other kids are treating him badly, he'll refuse to do what they do, because he doesnt want to be like them. He may attribute their behavior to the fact that they do the work even!

Its gonna be hard, but you gotta keep your head up and help him do the same. It'll never get better if you dont instill a sense of confidence in his intelligence. He needs to be rewarded(not neccessarily with money or toys) when he's good, disciplined when bad, and taught how to be a man by you and his father(hopefully?). Remember, being a man is not determined by age, but rather responsibility. He may be too young to understand that now but he will need to learn it soon enough to make it through grade school and high school, let alone college and the rest of life.

Thanks for the reply! The other kids are definitely something to consider. I actually have a very good working relationship with these teachers, being a former teacher myself we have very in-depth conversations and email many times a week. I will press them about how he's treated by others, and also the activity in the room while he's working- good point. They quite often take him into another room so he can concentrate better. As far as discipline, we are very consistent, lots of praise and reward (rarely material, he loves a good hug and a pat on the back, and a "you so totally rock, squirt!"), but are firm when consequences are necessary. My husband is an engineer, and is teaching our boy things that he wishes his dad could have taught him about social skills. As far as teaching him how to be a man, I have no worries. We continually remind him of how smart he is, because he is, we're not just blowing smoke up his butt. We are teaching responsibility with the help of our 2 year old- quite often he'll come warn me when his little brother is getting into trouble! It's so hard to get into his head because, although he's verbal, he has a tough time explaining why he's feeling a certain way, or why he acted a certain way. Thanks again, I appreciate your help.