Should I push my son at school or not?

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Get him books he will love. My daughter is NT, and she learned to read quite easily in kindergarten, but around 3rd grade she started hating it for some reason. Currently she is reading constantly because she has books she loves. Even if he likes graphic novels he will still be reading. There is a lot of science fiction and fantasy for kids that age now. I know it sounds like I am stereotyping, but a lot of kids like that stuff, not just Aspies. He may not be a strong reader now but after he starts reading what he loves that will get better. You may have to pry him out of the book to do other things!

I was not reading well in second grade, and the teachers were frustrated with me, mom was too. They had me in special education class, relearning to tell time, for crying out loud. I started raiding my mom's Sci-FI/Fantasy stash in the bookshelf, and I had read several before she caught me (they were Piers Anthony's Xanth books). I think it bothered her at first because of the adult themes, but she left me alone. Truthfully, some stuff I didn't get because I was just too young, but I still enjpyed to read the stories and it helped me a lot as far as my reading.

Thank you all for your fantastic replies! You have given me hope. I now think I am on the right track.

I have a LOT of Aspie tendencies, and pretty much breezed through the academic stuff at school. The social stuff, not so much. I guess I never really thought I had problems with it until recently when reading books about AS, I now know that I am not so abnormal for not wanting to be around a lot of people. It used to drive me BANANAS the way my mum used to obsess about me joining Girl Guides or Little Athletics - I just wasn't interested. Much happier at home with a good book or the tv (didn't have computers in those days!). Now I know there is a whole world of people out there like me!

I guess what I am trying to say is that I have felt that I wasn't pushed in the right way at school, and by pushed I do mean 'challenged', and my interests weren't catered for. I also didn't realise until just very recently (past week or so), that the real reason I didn't want to go onto higher study after High School was that I had NO IDEA how to get along in the real world - finding a house, job etc.....what to do at Uni etc...

I try to find what interests my son - can change weekly! I do get him books that he is interested in: comics, Spongebob, Teen Titans etc, and try to challenge him gently. Getting him over his fear of mistakes is a big challenge, but I think we are winning that one..

Now, if anyone has any suggestions to stop him hitting other kids who annoy him!! ...........we are desperately hoping he outgrows that one - it is getting better as he is maturing..

Thanks again for your time everyone.

All I got out of special education was that I picked up the bizzar behavior of the students that were in my class. My parents complained so by fifth grade they dropped me into several "normal" mainstream classes so I would pick up on normal behavior. I was not use to being around so many kids so I clammed up and became withdrawn. When I did interact with the other students I was picked on for talking weird, rocking back and forth, and talking loud. I never made eye contact or talked to anyone the whole time I was there. I begged the special education teachers to take me out of the classes but they and my parents said no.

The more you keep your kid from being around normal kids the more strange he will become. I would have been better off out of special education classes. Around 7th grade I took about half general education and special education. I gradually picked up on correct behavior and felt a little more comfortable then I did in elementary school. I was not able to fully fit in but at least I was not a nervous sweaty wreck like was in elementary.