Hugs right back, platypus! It's amazing how much better I feel just having this conversation.
Here is how I see his main challenges:
He has a really difficult time organizing absolutely anything (and this is ironic, considering that he is systematic with his own projects--meaning ones he conceptualizes and designs/implements). He does not understand how little time the busy-work type assignments really take if you don't fret about them.
Today, I explained to him my process for dealing with tedium, which is frame it as an assembly line process and try to make it interesting by experimenting to see how I can make it most efficient (apple/tree, lord have mercy!)
DS, if faced with making a powerpoint presentation (which he loved, when he was, you know, 4-5 years old), treats each slide like a creation unto itself, messing with formatting, fonts, distracting himself by googling images, etc. etc.). He only likes using tech media when it is novel and he's learning it. Really, he just hates doing anything that is not his idea. The only homework that is not a huge argument/struggle is math, but it's not because he LIKES math (he does not), but because it's easy to know what you are supposed to do and it's not writing intensive.
He also loves to write, creatively, but ONLY for fun and not for assignments.
I told him that one really easy way to do a PP is to just cut paste all of your text into it, slide by slide, then afterwards edit/format, make it pretty.
Would you believe he then produced a high quality PP in about 15 minutes? UGH!
He is an information sponge. If he could demonstrate his thinking/understanding/knowledge base just by having a conversation, he'd have As in all of his classes. That is a little ironic, too, because of his difficulties with social communication. He can talk up a storm about something factual and interesting, but can't explain when he doesn't understand an assignment or has lost the instructions.
He is also resistant to any suggestions I make. Ha!
Today was better. For one thing, I found out that his meltdown absences can be coded 504 (duh, I know) and also DS was able to mark off several silly assignments from his overwhelming list.
He has also now officially met the school nurse, and can go there if he needs a time out (instead of texting). He was also very resistant to meeting the nurse. He likes things to stay exactly the same all of the time.
I am cautiously optimistic that my "assembly line" strategy resonated with him. He's a really creative guy--an unusual animal, for real--not into other people's routines at all, but pretty attached to his own. So we need to add some routines for getting through rough and boring times that interfere with his "me" time, which is his lifeline.
I would really like to do homeschool next year and just let him read and talk to me, make music, draw, etc., but he is going to have to learn how to do things he doesn't want to do and I'm not sure how that would go for us.
PS, I'm previewing this post and noticing that the truth is, my DS is just a giant PITA. No wonder I'm so stressed! Thankfully, he is very cute and funny, too, or I might auction him off on eBay.
