Also, what does he LIKE to do?

He is a social animal. People above anything else. He won't read fiction. He likes reading real stuff. World record books. How stuff works books. He comes home and tells me all about some scientist or historical person. He will go on and on about it. That's why I think letting him talk to the computer might help him see the link between communicating by talking and writing. He watches the history channel, science channel, animal planet.

I'm so glad to read that Emmett and his parents are being spared the homework torture. The boys don't have any where near the homework they did in elementary school. But still it is a chore.

I'm just watching all the parenting tips for school fly by and wishing I'd had this hivemind when my kids were still in school. Although, I think I did pick up on the fact my daughter was a kinesthetic learner and I tried to use it. The problem was, she still didn't want to use her brain for anything more than being popular. Homework did not fit in with being popular and I'd have to sit over her and homework nanny her to get her to do it. Crying fits were not uncommon, not mine though! Thing was, she could be a straight A student any time she wanted, and often was, but the fight over homework on a daily basis was frustrating as hell.

Hee, I mouse over your user name and see your number. It flashes Newbee

I thought it flashed Musical. And welcome SCube!

Laura, he sounds just like my neph. Not that I can take that sentence anywhere helpful, because we none of us ever figured out how to unlock the considerable smarts in my nephew for school...or even life. The neph does hate computers and typing, so maybe the language software is a good idea. He also loves music, so maybe there's something clever to be done with that.

Laura - Mom worked with adapative/assistive technology for many years and I picked her brain really quick. She had some suggestions -- she suggested using something like co:writer which finishes words when you're typing. She also suggested that if you haven't asked the school system about getting an adaptive/assistive technology assesment you might look at that.

She also suggested ldonline.com a leading website about learning disabilities and ADHD it has all kinds of information and resources for parents, kids, and educators.

Hmm. Mock interviews, character diaries, mock resumes of characters, role plays, acting out scenes to get meanings.

Mom also reminded me that I had a lot of problems writing due to spelling --- (my spelling is still so bad I routinely run into situations where spell check can't figure out what I'm trying for) and grammar and she'd tape record me and then she'd transcribe the recording.

Welcome Scube!

How nice to come back from pilates (where I worked every muscle in my body--whew!) to find such a smart, helpful discussion. I loves me some Buffistas.

My nephew didn't like reading but he did like sports, so my mom gave him a subscription to Sports Illustrated, which he used to pore over. That kind of unlocked the door for him.

Laura, I've read quite a bit about ADD/ADHD, and one thing that was suggested for kids to get schoolwork done (or adults to get paperwork, etc., done) was to either (1) have a place set aside where there are ZERO distractions -- no music, no TV, as plain of a setting as possible; OR (2) see if he can work better with music or something in the background; apparently it kind of keeps part of the brain occupied while the rest of the brain does the work it's supposed to do.

The Boy (this is NOT an excuse to go all Carrots) has ADD, and I can ask him later what worked best for him, and if he knows of any other good resources.

There is music software out there that will translate what you play on to screen in notation - then you can play with the notation to make it sound different - It takes the drugery out - and I think voice recognition software could be used that way too.

I have a cousin that basicly had a brain where the two halves didn't communicate - she learned to spell while jumping up and down on a trampoline.

I wonder if IM or some other version of Chat would be good.- it won't help spelling - but because it moves so fast - my typing speed is way up - which makes typing less of a drugery.

And what about Runescape - or one of the other on line adventure games - where co operating with other players - that you to use the computer to talk to- gets you further. Now, I do have kids that come to the library that come to play, and they play for hours , which is not so good, but the basic idea is good. Lots of problem solving

Hello SCube!