My dyslexic son took ages to learn the names of his classmates, and it is still a problem for him as a teenager. The picture idea is a good one.
He took longer than his classmates to learn to read, and needed intensive phonics instruction to associate sounds and letters. He can read well now, and writing for him is a real strength as long as he has a computer to do the spellchecks for him. The phonics is still a weakness, but the ability to analyze and integrate ideas is his strength.
Your son may well surprise you with his gifts after he finishes with the foundation learning he needs to do.
