I'm not sure if I have insights but I can say your not alone. This is very similar to what goes on my my DS17. When he has something to say he writes brilliantly but often he has absolutely nothing to say and it's like pulling teeth to get him to put anything done on paper. It's been a big problem because he often writing nothing, or two sentences when a 1-2 pages was expected. I still remember that first week of his pullout gifted class when the teacher got back to me that she was worried it was the right placement as he had only written two sentences on the "lets get to know you" essay the teacher assigned. (I should have taken this as a clue..)
I didn't pursue full neropsyc testing till he was in H.S. and this was a mistake. But we did finally do this and I'm glad I did. He has low working memory and processing speed and has been labeled with anxiety & LD with impairment in Written Expression. The neuropsyc exam was one where he only wrote 1-2 sentences. The anxiety seems to closely tied to the writing issue but it's not clear if it's a cause or effect.
What has helped?? He now has a 504 and gets extra time on in class essays, and permission to get extra time on writing assignments. (And with College Board.) Yes this has helped, I'm not sure why. I think he sometimes just had to think more about what he's going to say than other people. One thing in his 504 that has helped with some teachers, is the request that they "reframe" the questions for him. He doesn't respond well to essays that ask for his "favorite" or are too open ended. Often a reframing to make the question a bit more specific is all that is necessary. He sometimes goes round & round obsessing about what the prompt is really asking.
DS has also matured a lot in the last 18 months and now seems to understands what at stake. I think that does help a bit. If you can't write that essay, you won't pass English & you will never make it to college. And that would be a shame when he is so good at math & science. It's gotten better but writing essays still are still weakness. Understanding what his problems/blocks have helped because I have backed off. De is not taking honors/AP English & Social Studies in H.S after that disastrous 9th grade year. Although the regular classes are boring in other ways it help keep his time available for the advanced classes in math & science.
And thinking back on it last years Social Studies class/teacher probably make a big difference. While I was a bit frustrated because he got a poor grade in that class because the teacher only graded on short answer tests & quizzes. (Vs. other teachers who used multiple choice tests he would have Aced.) He really learned over the course of that year to answer critically in a way he could understand. I think this is because while everything required writing, the questions were very well framed and to the point.
Last edited by bluemagic; 03/18/16 02:19 PM.
