Similes are like something, but I don't know what.

As I've mentioned previously, our son, age just-turned-9 is homeschooled. He also has Asperger's Syndrome. 

Most 9 year olds are in 4th grade. Most. Not mine. It was pretty apparent when he was just-turned-5 that he wasn't quite ready for kindergarten. And, fair enough, as he would have been the youngest in his class at that point. So, we kept him back one year, which made him one of the oldest when he began Kindergarten. Most of his classmates would turn 6 over the course of the year, he was already there. That was also the first year of knowing something was not quite right. The first real suggestion that while incredibly smart, something else was a bit off. By the beginning of 1st grade, it just wasn't working for us, or him, and that was when we began homeschooling instead.

Currently, we're working at a 3rd grade equivalent level for most subjects - although he's technically enrolled for 3rd grade, like most kids he is advanced in some areas and lacks in others. Generally, reading is one of the areas he is particularly advanced - followed closely by science, computers, and general technology-related things. 

But, you would think that the advanced reading would lend itself to better writing, based on a vast vocabulary and literary skills beyond his years. In reality, that is not the case. As is very typical of Aspies, a pet name for those affected with Asperger's Syndrome, he lacks the ability to really engage in abstract thoughts and concepts. While he can write quite well for his age, his stories would read as very deliberate and intent. There's little creative flow, no use of excessive adjectives and adverbs, simile and metaphor. Rather, it is quick and factual. He can spin a brilliant tale, but much will be left to the imagination.

Today has been particularly frustrating. As part of his creative writing curriculum, we are tackling similes and metaphors. For those who have been out of the elementary educational system for a while, these are the use of descriptive words to compare things. For example, you may finish the idea "the sun shines bright as a....." with something like "diamond" or "flashlight". Or "the candy tasted like...." might be concluded with "an extravagant birthday party" or "snowflakes made of sugar". Even the slightly creative mind can extrapolate enough information to creatively conclude those statements.

Not here. We've been working on a 20 question worksheet for over an hour to result in answers such as "The kitten was soft as..... fur". "The moon rose like.... the sun". "The rain fell like..... water". This is frustrating for both of us in different ways. For him, because he knows that those are not the answers we are looking for, but he can't pull together anything else. And for me, because I want him to be able to grow up knowing all the fun of reading, and writing, and language.

Similes are like something, but I don't know what.