Re: Re: School Questions--

[Guest guest]

This is excellent information, we will definitely check it out. He can write on

worksheets/ paper but he gets fatigued quickly. Thank you for taking the time to

respond!

Kristal- Mom to Brett- SMA II- 12 years old

Visit Brett @ www.our-sma-angels.com/brett

OR www.caringbridge.org/visit/brettwilson

Re: School Questions

Also, something I just thought of (even though you didn't specifically mention

much about math accommodations):

Rather than waiting until it becomes a serious issue, I would suggest

preemptively requesting that the school get him MathTalk as well. It is an

add-on for Dragon NaturallySpeaking that allows you to operate the program

Scientific Notebook (which comes bundled with it) entirely by voice. You can

check it out here: http://metroplexvoice.com/products.htm#mtsn

As amazing as Dragon is (it's my primary method of interacting with my

computer, and I love it), it's one major school-related limitation is when it

comes to math. You can't really " speak " math in the strictest sense, so it's

incredibly challenging to write out math equations and such using Dragon.

MathTalk allows you to do it in a really easy and intuitive manner, though.

Brett might still be at a point where he's able to write on worksheets by

hand, but that's obviously something we SMAers have more trouble with over time

-- especially when you have to do a bunch of problems on each assignment.

Transitioning over to MathTalk is something that really made my (and my

parents', as they were having to write out my responses as I dictated) life

easier. I highly recommend it!

-

>

> I have a quick question. Brett is only in 6th grade and I am already

overwhelmed with my.....I mean his homework, It feels like my homework though.

Just some things that I know can be tweaked or maybe not...but wondering how you

guys did it when you were in school. Or some parents of the older kids could

answer for me too. I just can't imagine how high school is going to be. And

maybe I just haven't thought of really simple things that will help us.

>

> - Reading/ doing a worksheet- He can't manage reading the book and

alternating with filling out a worksheet at the same time. So I have to

constantly move the book, give him his worksheet, give him back the book, etc.

As well as take his marker while he is reading, give it back when he needs it,

etc.

>

> - Holding a big book to read, we currently prop it up but he can't always

turn the pages. We have a book holder on order and the school is supposed to be

getting all the books on his laptop. Which will help tremendously, but I can

still envision having the same issue with reading on the laptop vs. worksheets

vs. marker- Do your kiddos do their worksheets on their laptops and just toggle

back and forth between applications?

>

> - Microscopes in Science Class- How did they use them?

>

> - I know there is more but I am drawing a blank. Our school has been awesome

helping us and working with requests. They have cut down assignments, like if he

is assigned 30 questions in Math, he only has to do 15, etc. He has his own

laptop at school, they just ordered Dragon to help him with his English papers.

He currently uses a click-n-type program. His aide takes all his notes, except

for in Math. Brett does better in assignments if he took the notes himself. They

do have a book holder on order too. They ordered him 2 accessible desks for his

core classes and he has 2 portable, rolling black trays for the other classes.

He has one of each on each floor.

>

> Basically I just want him to be as independent as he possibly can and try to

prepare him for the workload in high school, etc. Any advice or suggestions

would be great. Thanks!

>

> Kristal- Mom to Brett- SMA II- 12 years old

> Visit Brett @ www.our-sma-angels.com/brett

> OR www.caringbridge.org/visit/brettwilson

>

>