schleppenheimer wrote:
We live in a very high-stress, high achieving school district in Pittsburgh, which was great for our other two kids. It is also good for our 11 year old, in that there are many accomodations made for our son (more time on tests, tests given verbally sometimes rather than written, etc.). The school district has a pretty good understanding of aspergers.
This 8 hour marathon homework happens about once a week. Sometimes less than once a week. It is horrendous, and we try to minimize it, but if you're in middle school, and three classes have tests the next day, plus homework assignments, and your son can't concentrate, then what should be about four hours ends up sometimes taking 8 hours. It's awful, to be sure. Last night he had one math assignment, which took an hour. He also had a word search for science (purely busy work), which we work on with him because it's basically pointless, but he gets extra points for finishing it (which will often make up for late work or forgotten assignments).
We try really hard to give him down time, to just be a kid. That's a big thing with me -- I think we ask way too much of our kids nowadays, and there's never enough time to just stop and smell the roses. I hate that fact.
I am keeping in much better contact with the doctor, and I am telling him that the meds aren't working. He always sounds surprised. He's a good guy, and unfortunately my son LOVES him -- I say unfortunately, because I swear the doctor is aspie as well (undiagnosed, and it's purely MY theory) and yet doesn't understand the situation fully. I'm going to have to really make my point the next time I talk to him -- there are NO add indications, just the aspie "zoning out" with class and homework. If meds can't help, then we are going to have to just get off this merry-go-round.
Kris
Last year we did not have a diagnosis....
It was regularly taking my son 2 hours of inattention and meltdowns to finish a 2-minute worksheet.
Even w/out the diagnosis, the teacher said if he doesn't finish in 20 mininutes, then be done with it. Turn in whatever he finishes in 20 minutes (for the 2-minute worksheet) and write a note. My son was aware of this rule. Eventually he started doing his homework within the 20 min. He felt proud of himself. I think he didn't feel the overwhelming pressure (anxiety) of having so much work to do and knowing it could take hours for him to complete it, then he would have a breakdown from anxiety, etc...
I wonder if your son's teachers would allow some kind of special arrangement such as this, or provide him with less work.
15 Sep 2010, 8:28 pm
