Homework Help for Aspergers Girl

[Looby4]

I have a 9 year old daughter with AS and ADHD. Homework seems to be an increasing battle. She is a very bright girl, but cannot sit still and do homework. By day, she is at a very strict, ordered private school which suits her very well when she is there. The punishment for not concentrating in class and not working hard there are strict and after a bumpy start, she's learnt to work at school. However each evening she has 1-2 hours of homework and cannot do it without me sitting next to her, prompting her to concentrate and get on with it. I I don't I find her mooching about, watching TV, playing the piano, playing in her room etc. I have 3 younger children, and end up letting them watch TV or just put them to bed without a story in order than I can do DD's homework with her. It's turning into a huge battle - she can't see the point of homework, other DC are not having the time with me, or having me help them with their reading books etc. and I am resenting being torn between which children to spend time with and getting cross with DD.

1. I would be grateful if anyone has any ideas how to get her to focus when I am not in the room

2. Does anyone employ a Homework Helper - someone either to sit with DD and focus her, or to read with other children, do music practice etc. Would someone come in for 1 hour per night and how much to pay them?
   Thanks

I do not have aspergers but I would have been fed up if I'd had 2 hours homework after being at school all day. So sorry you;re having such a battle.

Have you chatted with her teachers about it?

hope you don;t find me unhelpful, just depressed generally about the amount of homework kids get.

I had a similar problem but took my ADHD AS d out of private school and put he in local state school. It's a very good state school and she is very happy there. They have very little homework in comparison. She is also 9. My 5 yr old is at a private school and has far more homework. The down side is her academic scores have dropped but we do have a much more relaxed and happy home. My sister in law has AS son of same age and they are at private school struggling massively because of homework.

I have AS & ADD.. i could never sit to do my homework.

What I ended up instigating off my own back (teen diagnosis) was a 10mins work, 10 mins break scheme.

Sitting for 2hrs just wasnt going to happen, so i got a little alarm timer and would swap between homework and my 'other' activity every ten minutes. With her being so young you might have to reduce it to 5min about to start with, maybe think about a little reward chart for every work period achieved...etc

It might also pay to find out if she works better in silence or with some background noise, IE a radio.

but also.. 1-2hrs? That a lot of homework at that age.. i'd talk to the teachers about maybe reducing it to a more managable level for her until you can find a way to get her to sit and do some.