9 yr old will not do written work

[TomieAnn]

I have a nine year old son who is other wise a normal happy child, but will not do written work. We will call him Kyle. He is not definant about it, he just sits there quietly and reads the material over or says he is still thinking of what to write. However, if you ask him questions about a story, or if you ask him to tell you a story, he can give an elaberate explaination. When it comes to writing it down, he just writes his story in a listing format.  
Kyle was diagnosed woth ADHD at the age of 5 and has struggled through school from the start. He is on Ritalin and it does him well for the most part in school. We dont have much trouble at home. He is in the 4th grade, reading at a 6th grade level. He won't write in cursive, and is failing many subjects simply based on lack of completed written work. He knows all the answers, he just will not write them. He has said before that he feels his writing is not good enough, but it was like pulling teeeth to get that out of him, so I don't know if he just said it to get us off his back.
We have tried EVERYTHING, from all the drugs on the market (of which only Ritalin has any effect on him) to behavior management,spankings,groundation and nothing works. It is so frustrating because he is so smart, and he does know the material, he just will not write. Also, when he is on Ritalin, he is very hypersensitive. He cries at the drop of a hat, especially in class. If the teacher gives him a bad mark on his behavior chart, he gets histerical. He has been known to cry for hours.      
  I, myself, was diagnosed with ADD as a child (11), and then re-diagnosed with a mild form of bi-polar disorder (at the age of 16) for which I was on lithium for two years. I stopped taking meds ten years ago with no problems, so I question that diagnosis. But recently,(last year)at the age of 28 and after the birth of my third child, I started having serious anxiety attacks, and was prescribed zoloft and all is well. My point is I have a mental history, I just am not sure exactly what it is. Kyle also has an 8 yr old brother who has a slight oppositional defiant disorder and is on Risperdol who is a very well rounded child in the 2nd grade.
  I divorced their father when Kyle was 2, remarried when kyle was 7 and had a baby with my new husband last year. My ex is not a consistant presence in their life, but they do see him once and a while and they do love him. Kyle is very loyal to his father and points out that my husband is his step-father when referred to otherwise. They have a strained relationship at best. My husband doesn't know how to handle a child like Kyle, but tries hard to understand. My other child calls my husband dad and have a much closer bond. My husband is very strict on the boys, more so than I wish sometimes, but I know that a child like Kyle needs structure to thrive.
Sorry this is so long, I just wanted to make sure you had all the information. I am all out of ideas, I so badly need some help.

[cellea]

My son will not write either and we took him to a vision therapist at the request of his OT from school.  He has recommeded vision therapy which includes typing on the computer instead of handwriting.  He seems to like it and is willing to do it.

[2miracles]

school to me just wants to GET THEM THERE, and hardly cares about the problems. They or anyone will never 'carry' my 10 yr. old in to school when she is hysterical crying,cuz she dont want to go in. i put her in after school so they can help her w/ the homework- cuz we cant handle it at home hardly at all. She also claims 'she can twrite cursive/ which they must do all the time now, and she really only has problems w/ a FEW letters! But she thinks it all has to be PERFECT! The teacher marks her for the whole word if 1 letter is wrong, it made her write all over the paper- i dont care - who cares! etc. b/c she marked 17 out of 20 wrong , she had most spelled right just not formed right! I told them - i didnt teach her the cursive - they did, they should have changed that last year. we will be seeing someone soon - probably for ADHD medicine, and I'm paranoid to put her on anything - but i am seeing more and more that she needs something to calm her down, the Dramma queen has gone way beyond whats normal! good luck , but keep pushing - some schools are better at helping than others - Ive seen that w/ my nephew.He got help without being over labeled!

[MawmawtoZach]

I also have a 9 year old that has a hard time doing written assignments. It is a real challenge for him to write more than a few lines. His handwritting is horrible, he is also left handed which doesn't help.

He has been diagnoised with BiPolar mood disorder, Sensory integration dysfunction, ADHD, ODD.

Schools only understand ADHD and have to be educated on the others.

Mawmawtozach

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

The problem with relying too much on dictation, as you already sense, is that he will never learn how to convey his thoughts in writing. The testing you referto (i.e., re: an IEP) does imply that he has been tested under provisions of the special education law. Part of the process requires your permission to proceed with any plan, so do not sign your approval until you are satisfied that your son's needs are being met. If necessary, appeal the findings or recommendations, including asking for second-opinion testing if necessary.

[TomieAnn]

My son is currently seeing a child psychiatrist and has been since he was 5. She has pretty much thrown her hands in the air. She says that we have exausted all avenues with Kyle, and we still can not get him to do his written work. I have also consulted the school and have had him tested for what they call and I.E.P. which i think means individual education plan. With this, they can have Kyle dictate things instead of write them. I have yet to hear the results of the test. My concern is, how practical is it to have him dictate instead of write? Is he going to have to dictate the rest of his life? Does it not encourage him to be lazy about writing? Is there no way, other than what I am already doing, to make him want to write? I told him that I don't care what he writes about, just write something. Is there any one who knows what works, what will give him the motivation to do well, because as of now, he doesn't seem to care whether he excels or not, he just will not write. I am looking for a new psychiatrist, but being military, my options are limited at best. Finding a child psychiatrist that takes Tri-care is next to impossible. I am at the end of my rope, and I can rememeber my mother saying the same things about me. I didn't straiten out until I was in my early 20's. Is that what Kyle's future is going to be like? Is it going to be a constant struggle into adulthood? Please, anyone out there, help us.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

It is very likely that your son has a type of learning disability that makes it quite difficult to convey thoughts in written fashion, even though the child is bright and in most ways very capable. His behavior does not sound like it is emotionally-based or a result of his ADHD. Due to the serious impact of this disability on his functioning, it would be prudent to seek an evaluation for special needs. Tell the school you want this, and sign the appropriate consent. Every school district, under federal regulations, has the obligation to evaluate children when there is an indication that a learning disorder is present. Due to the family history, keep an eye on him for development of possible mood disorder. If his ADHD medication is prescribed by a pediatrician, not by a child psychiatrist, it would be wise to have him evaluated by a child psychiatrist. This will serve the purpose of being thorough, to be sure you're not mssing anything.