Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion If DS could do all school work orally...

the school day would be so much shorter. Due to an injury, DS10 has been unable to write and type as he normally would. So during this time, we've been going over things orally or I do the writing as he dictates - and I'm amazed at what a difference it makes. DS would rather complain for an hour about having to write the answers for 20 math problems rather than just doing it and being done in 10 minutes, and the same goes for typing. As a side note, I'm also a bit perplexed at how quick and accurate his verbal answers are - he seems to make more mistakes when he has to write anything.

I just don't get it. What is it about the physical act of writing that is so awful? He's had an OT evaluation and everything's fine. He can write (neatly when he wants to) and doesn't complain about his hands hurting or anything. It's almost like he thinks it just takes too much time - he'd rather just tell you what the answer is. When asked, he says that he hates writing, but doesn't (can't?) elaborate - he just hates it.

So, is there a career in which DS will never have to write???

My DS is much the same. While he doesn't elaborate either, I do think it's because it takes too much time. His hand could never keep pace with his thoughts, and I can't blame him for being frustrated with that. DS doesn't type much yet, but we're hopeful that writing will improve once he builds up speed.

As for careers ... how does your DS feel about dolphin training?

Oh my gosh.. you have my kid!!

I helped her with her math problems last night. She had two word problems that involved filling in blanks with given numbers and then explaining why she chose the ones she did. She blew my mind with how quick she figured it out and her rationale. When I told her she had to write it down she flipped her lid and the two minute questions became a 30 minute battle/tantrum about how much she hates to write.

My D15 has a non-verbal learning disability. Last year her English teacher was going over a draft of a paper with her, and said, "How is that you can tell me all these great ideas and fluent sentences when we talk, but it doesn't come out in your paper?" This is a kid who scored 740 on SAT CR as a 13 year old... but it is torture to get her to write a paper. Handwriting is particularly difficult for her, so the laptop she got last year in school does help some.

I can really relate to this. Even as an adult it is a punishment for me to handwrite anything because my hands just can't keep up with my head and either my handwriting becomes horrible or I have to write too slowly and lose my train of thought.

Typing for me has been the best thing ever! Could you maybe do some typing games with him because that's what really helped me in the long run (I picked up some over the summer one year). I'm a scientist and while I do enjoy writing out long equations and solving them (I use grid paper for that, it seems to help). I normally have to type them up immediately or I'll never be able to read them again! For me I always hated all the show your steps stuff.

OMG, My D17 has been dealing with this too!!!

The more I read about it, it seems like she has a lot of the symptoms of a NVLD. She has a laptop, but she can't seem to type fast enough to keep up with her thoughts either(yet?). I just bought the Dragon 2 "naturally speaking" software that is supposed to transcribe her dictation but so far the set up (training it to understand her) has been far too frustrating. I also bought a small voice recorder, hoping that will help at least get the ideas on record until we can find her a secretary :-).

It is so frustrating to see her struggle so much with this when fully developed ideas flow from her so freely orally.

Any suggestions for fun typing improvement games for a 17 year old? She already types much faster than I do (I still look at the keys and use two fingers!) but much too slowly to keep up with her thoughts and the lack of accuracy hangs her up, breaks the flow because she stops to correct each typo as it occurs.

This is my DS7 as well. He has Dyspraxia and handwriting has been an absolute chore for him. We homeschool and so I have been basically his scribe - I don't think it is fair to hold him back just because he can't write everything out - so we move at his pace and I scribe.....we tried public school twice and both times it was a disaster because they had no patience or understanding in dealing with this problem - instead of seeing one extremely bright kid, they focused on the fact that he couldn't write well.

It seems I'm not alone . Thanks for all the replies.

Since there's no physiological reason for it, I believe the biggest factor is that what's going on in his head moves so fast that his hands can't keep up yet. However, I also feel that he's got to learn to overcome that - either by working on his handwriting or keyboarding. I don't have a problem with him typing his work (I actually would prefer it because it makes corrections much easier), but he hates to spend the time doing the typing games or anything that will improve the skill. We've allotted some time each day to handwriting/keyboarding practice, although I allow any substantial written work (whether handwritten or typed) to serve as that practice time. And still...so much grumbling. There have been occasions when he hasn't complained and will come down with this handwritten work that clearly reflects his effort; we make sure to comment on the fact that he did it w/out griping, made an effort for neatness, and that portion/subject is completed and he can move on. I wish that was more motivating for DS, but it's not.

It's exhausting, mainly because I just don't see the point - he'd be done in a third (or less) of the time he spent complaining, if he'd just suck it up and get it done. Perhaps I expect too much on that front?? While I'm enjoying how quickly we're able to move through his lessons while I'm writing/typing for him, I don't look forward to when he needs to start doing those things himself again - I foresee some looooooong days, LOL.

In my research for possible causes (and more particularly possible solutions) for my DD17's "writing hang ups" I came accross this article: http://www.ldonline.org/article/6114 on NVLD that totally describe her:

Very early speech and adult like verbal skills

Reading well by the age of 3

Diagnosed as gifted at every school

A wee bit accident prone

Awkward social skills

Threats, punishments, rewards don't work

I never in a million years would have suspected a learning disability in my DD, she always performed way above grade level. I wish someone would have pointed me to this information 7 years ago as it sounds like with proper care we could have avoided a lot of damage to her psyche (and my sanity).

I am cracking up over "threats, punishments, rewards don't work". D and I had an argument a few days ago (about an English paper that was supposed to be done and was not -- ironically!), and I was sooo mad at her. But I literally could not think of a threat or punishment that would work for her...

I certainly wish we had the NVLD diagnosis earlier. We just got it last year. D15 has developed a PASSION for biology this year now that she is taking the class. One of her middle school teachers, who I know to be a very good science teacher from older D's experience with him, also taught them a fair amount of Bio to her class in middle school. But he really did not seem to like D, and I think it is because of her organization issues related to the NVLD. He just couldn't stand that a kid who was clearly so smart was so disorganized, and he just figured it was an attitude problem. I feel now like she lost an opportunity to find that love of Bio a little earlier, because she had to put so much energy into the teacher relationship in that class that the subject content sort of got lost.