Thanks everyone for all the suggestions on DS.
I must admit it is an area of specific sensitivity for me. I am an avid reader (and actually so is AH), there would be less than a handful of days in our sons whole life that he hasn't been read to. He loves series, we've read everything from Harry Potter, to Faraway Tree to Captain Underpants!! Even as a newborn in ICU I'd spend hours reading to him whilst he was in his isolette!
This has resulted in him having a rich and active imagination, high levels of creativity and very sophisticated verbal language. Sadly, it hasn't led to him being able to read. He has several special needs, some from oxygen deprivation at birth. He also has a very significant rapid autonomic naming disorder (he'll be diagnosed with severe Dyslexia once he hits 8) - this is where the part of the brain that automatically pulls out of the brain the 'meaning' to a symbol is impaired. So if he physically 'feels' the letter, thinks about it for some time, does some actions or links a letter to s 'story' he can name it. All that takes quite some time though and means reading is EXHASTING for him.
He has a special ed teacher once a week, a speech therapist and an aide at school.
But the lack of progress is really demoralising. It's not like I don't have experience - DD also has dyslexia - but the program that special ed teacher used with her yielded results we could literally see! Plus she was very motivated. DS is definitely not, plus he knows he is behind his peers and shows avoidance behaviour. DD had less awareness but was internally driven. Now at 10 she reads at level and loves to read! DS it's a constant battle of cheering him on, finding different ways to cajole, beg, plead, reward - I think I have tries it all - recommended ways and ways not recommended (we are heavily into bribery at the moment
)!