I just wanted to share some of the things I have done to help my son learn in spite of his differences.
Good for you Lori! I'm sure that lots of folks will get good ideas and support from reading this post.
Since handwriting is difficult, he learned to type and has been typing lots of messages to other players when he plays Runescape. I know there have been a lot of negative things said in the news recently about these games being addictive, but if you limit the time spent on these games, I think they can even be educational.
I agree wholeheartedly. Unless the parent was savy enough to avoid media entirely right from the begining, I think the best approach is to use their best features, with limits. Runescape, in particular, was the turning point in my son's typing ability when he was 9, last year. 100wpm typing opened up many doors for him - into our local prep school, and into his grade skip.
Since I usually ask him to spell words for me while he is playing video games he doesn't mind working on spelling. I let him do it this way because he is good at multitasking, so why not use it.
Good for you for being able to take advantage of these children's unique abilities! Way to think outside the box.
I don't know if he has a bad case of psychomotor overexcitabilities or if it is his sensory issues but he has a hard time with sitting for long periods of time. He learns well if I let him move around while I read to him.
A local school has all the children sitting on those big excersize balls. I've also heard of a school that provide a jump rope outside every classroom, and students who need it can go out to the hall and jump, provide they act responsibly. Then there are the kids who sit still when the material is interesting to them, but fiddle and twittle the whole time. We recently ordered some human chew toys from the southpaw catalouge.
So he does some of his learning while he plays on the Wii. I really like the Wii. Not only does it get him moving, but he can read the news and he enjoys reading it to me. I encourage him to read the science and health and technology sections. Occasionally there is something there that I wish he hadn't read, like yesterday one of the articles he read mentioned "erectile dysfunction" and I had to think of an excuse to leave the room in a hurry so he didn't ask me what that was.
We had the same problem with "sexual assault." Supposedly we had a "no TV news" policy in our home, but apparently not all of the family members were consistiently in agreement. DS reported that DH dove for the mute button, which helped attract DS's attention. I was a relieved camper, but not a happy one.
He is enjoying reading an online high school/adult level version of The Wizard of Oz with over 1,000 SAT words added to the story. You can click on the SAT words and it gives you the definition. I would love to have my son's reading comprehension tested after he finishes this. I have never heard of some of these words and others I never bothered to look up the etymology.
Cool! Do you have a link? ((applause))
I never needed to know the exact meaning or other meanings but my son likes doing this because you can make more jokes if you know more words. The only problem is that where we live (small town) a lot of the adults wouldn't understand the jokes because they don't know what some of these words mean. He knows not to use some of these words around kids because he knows they wouldn't understand, but with adults it is more difficult. At least he found a "geeky" group of friends that he can talk to without worrying about this. The only problem is, most of them are three and four years older and everything is so age segregated here. He couldn't be in the same class in Vacation Bible School as most of his friends. His age mates in his class noticed the difference and one of them even said he thought my son had to have at least finished sixth grade and must be in the wrong class. My son likes to participate in discussions and since he is homeschooled I think it is difficult for him to know how much to lower the vocabulary level he is using in his speech. I think when he is an adult this will no longer be a problem.
LOL - it won't be a problem if he learns to value his gifted characteristics and is sure to live and work in a place with similar folks. If the local adults don't get his jokes now, do you think they will after he grows? I just had this discussion with my son, that I didn't value my characteristics, and so didn't choose a geographic location where I had a high chance of meeting similar people, and that if he hadn't come along, I would have continued to take responsibility for fitting in while still feeling that there was "something wrong with me" because I had to work so hard at it. And yes, a lot has to do with my style of humor going over "like a lead ballon" in many situations. I've learned to modify my delivery, but it's really hard work! Of course it's easier now that I'm not seeing myself as wrong for having to make the effort.
I leave Popular Science magazine in the backseat of the car so he can read it when we are in the car. He likes to read it to me while I am driving, at least when the battery runs out on his Nintendo DS.
Good for you! I try this with novels I think he would like. Lately we have been talking in the car. ((!))
It is a shame that kids like my son are held back in our public school because of sensory or motor issues. He just wants to learn, in the way he learns best, so we have to homeschool.
I sounds like at least some of what you ask for should be middle school or high school classes.
It has been three weeks now and our Department of Education will not answer my emails about our problems with the school. I will try to get my letter to my senator written this week and also have my son type his own letter. If I can get up the nerve we will deliver the letters in person.
I am cheering for you! I would suggest that you send a physical letter rather than an email, certified delivery ((LOL!)) I think delivering them in person is a wonderful idea. I would reccomend that you make a "date" to visit. There may be someone in your senator's office who is "in charge" of education policy, but it would be nice to get the tour, and at least shake hands with the Senator. May good energy go your way!
Trinity
