BS: Heric sings the blues

Subject: RE: BS: Heric sings the blues
From: mg
Date: 14 Feb 05 - 10:17 PM

Good...he is reading at a good level if he can read Harry Potter books. Take him on a lot of hikes in the meantime and keep him active in the Boy Scouts. He will learn as much there as at school most likely. Time to sit him down and tell him the world of work awaits him and it is time for him to be thinking of what he wants to do when he is grown up and to start getting some skills now. Especially if there are special needs involved, but I would give that advice to any young girl or boy. We allow them to be pretty much useless for way too long in my opinion. Volunteer him for various things if you can. and have hiim learn from other people too.... mg

Subject: RE: BS: Heric sings the blues
From: GUEST, heric
Date: 14 Feb 05 - 09:37 PM

Well, the unfortunate true answer is not much. I have spent his entire life trying to get him interested in or inquisitive about anything. The thing he's good at is being a really nice guy. No big kids can pick on him because his friends will immediately come to his defense. They protect him, which gives me faith in kids which surprises me. The first thing, ever, is a sudden passion for reading Harry Potter, in large doses.

He does like camping and hiking with Boy Scouts. Other than that, everything on your suggestion list leads to nada.

I sure hope that this all will prove to be a mere developmental delay.

Subject: RE: BS: Heric sings the blues
From: mg
Date: 14 Feb 05 - 06:56 PM

so what is he good at? Cooking? Camping? Animals? Sports? Mechanics? Computers? Chores? Music?

Subject: RE: BS: Heric sings the blues
From: GUEST, heric
Date: 14 Feb 05 - 06:19 PM

The label is "CAPD," Central Auditory Processing Disorder, and it is not too significant, as the first few audiologists denied it. He seems to be of near normal IQ, but avoids many learning situations.

Subject: RE: BS: Heric sings the blues
From: mg
Date: 14 Feb 05 - 05:52 PM

Some are miracle workers; some are not. It sort of depends on his situation, whether he is basically of normal intelligence, with learning difficulties, or if he is of lower intelligence. In the latter case, there is still a lot he can accomplish, with high but realistic expectations. If he is of the former, obviously more can be done, and sometimes there are ways of teaching differently. The main thing is to make sure he develops his strengths, which could be mechanics, carpentry,things like that, rather than constantly focusing on areas he has problems in, like reading or math, although you don't want to ignore those either. As long as you are in good shape, going through your situation, I can't think of a better experience for a boy than to spend a few months with his father, especially if it means spending some times with ailing grandparents etc...offset by fun things..six flags over wherever you are etc. I doubt there is a whole lot anyone learns in the last few months of a middle school year. mg

Subject: RE: BS: Heric sings the blues
From: GUEST, heric
Date: 14 Feb 05 - 04:07 PM

Oh, I thought you were joking. Thanks Mary. I will ponder this extensively. Homeschooling him would be really great, maybe only a few months as you note, and I would be good at it. Making it work, though. . . . . (His mom thinks that these special ed folks are like doctors who can use fancy equipment to "cure" him, a medical model I don't subscribe to.)

Subject: BS: Heric sings the blues
From: mg
Date: 14 Feb 05 - 03:40 PM

Heric described his situation in another thread.

Anyway, I would recommend running this plan past the custody police if you think you would have the next few months off anyway. A   uninfluenced by other considerations and thinking only in the best interests of her son would probably leap at the chance for father and son to spend a lot of time together, at the end of a school year that is not too successful anyway. Now, given the situations this might not be what you are facing, but it is worth a try. mg