Author: Frustrated
Date: 09-12-10 10:29
Thanks for your replies.
Jessica, I have a gifted nephew who's schooling reached a crisis at year three with a similar refusal to work, daily trips to the principal etc - in your case did you see signs leading up to this or did he just shut down one day? What is there about the demands of schooling at this age (more writing, more timed tests) that doesn't suit some children?
My nephew is now settled in a new school too and doing better but between then and now it was a difficult road. I guess I am trying to be proactive with any support for my son. His areas of strength are in creative work with loads of ideas, excellent conceptualising, good understanding for his age (quite philosophical) - not things typically measured in school I guess because they are not expected at an early age. However, my son barely draws, he instead acts out his ideas with figures, sticks, stones, grass clippings, anything really - so there isn't anything concrete at the end of it which is fine but it means there is no proof to anyone else i.e. the teacher of his thought processes at home. We did consider that he may be strongly a visual spatial learner which will give us a clue to how to support him as his school teaches a strongly phonetic approach to reading and a very strategy-based approach for maths that I think we will have to augment.
However as he doesn't quite fit the VS profile ie he is not obsessed with puzzles (actively avoids) or even construction which anecdotally I believe a lot of VS children are really keen on. It makes me think something is up but I just can't put my finger on what and unfortunately I doubt we will get any traction through our local doctor. We tried self-referral at around 2-3 for problems with extreme fears and sensitivities but no luck he wasn't considered a desparate case and to be fair he isn't screamingly bad anymore but it does seem no one looks closely until ithings become a problem e.g. they stop working at school.
Anyway excuse the rambling thoughts once I get on to the topic of my son I just go round in circles...
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