dysgraphia and computer use-at what age? DD struggles with writing on worksheets
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Anonymous
| At what age was your dysgraphic child allowed to submit the majority of their work through typing rather than handwriting? My DD is in 3rd grade and struggles to express herself in writing on worksheets... |
Anonymous
| we started that accommodation as soon as we found out. If your DD has this, why is she handwriting worksheets? |
Anonymous
| The school sucks! How did your child handle the worksheets? Did they use an app to upload them and then type on them? |
Anonymous
| The school is lazy. No one wants to create a new worksheet with lines. That’s what is needed. You can either draw lines or tape guideline paper that is cut out for the squares on the worksheet, etc. The sad fact: no one cares as much as you, Op. |
Anonymous
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Why does your DD struggle to express herself in writing? Is it because she struggles with the act of writing and thinking? Is it because she has fine motor challenges? That answer can guide the intervention response?
My oldest struggled with writing and, despite years of OT and pencil grips, never developed a tripod grasp. At your DDs age, he was allowed a 'scribe' who would write what he said or a speak-to-text program. Homework was either sent digitally or I scribed for him - unless the assignment was to practice the act of writing. I will say, at some point, your DD will have to develop a handwritten signature. You can do tons of stuff electronically but a hand signature is still required on occassion. |
Anonymous
| Does she know how to touch type? I’d get a scribe / 1:1 and add handwriting and touch typing with a scribe. She still needs to learn to write. |
Anonymous
This has nothing to do with lines. Lines wont help. With this disorder the brain and fingers must exert SO much effort to get simple things out that it interferes with expression. This looks like messy handwriting, incomplete sentences, poor punctuation, underdeveloped ideas. Before we had Dx, my child was called lazy, not following directions or not trying enough. My child types now. When he was younger he used voice to text to dictate answers and then edit them. With this approach he can express his ideas and explain them fully, using capitalization and punctuation. All his note taking is done on a laptop today. He still hand writes some short form answers and lots of math as needed. |
Anonymous
| My older DS is using an iPad to do worksheets and finds it much easier. Also, get her to practice dictating as much as possible. It’s a skill that takes a while to learn. |
Anonymous
| Son was in 3rd when schools went virtual. So he did the first half of 3rd grade struggling with handwritten worksheets and poof overnight everything switched to typed (and he didn’t yet know how to type). These teachers all taught virtually and potentially have versions of their curricular materials set up so your child could do cloud documents instead of paper worksheets. I find that they are totally willing to modify the format if you have an accommodation and ask nicely but they don’t just volunteer to reformat everything without the request. |
Anonymous
Which school system is this? Did you buy the ipad for him or does the school supply it? |
Anonymous
| My child does all writing on computer since second grade. He doesn’t like voice to text….I wonder if it is just a skill to be practiced. I wonder what recommendations there are for math. It has been such a struggle this year as the volume of writing problems has grown immensely. We use graph paper but his teacher is miserable. Although she gives him notes, she doesn’t get how hard it is to write the problems. |
Anonymous
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Are you in MCPS - do you have an IEP or 504 plan? Write a letter and ask your IEP team to ask fro the assistance of HIAT - High Incidence Assistive Technology. Ask them to assess DC and recommend solutions. MY DC got access to an assistive writing device and HIAT supported it being written into IEP plan that DC was permitted to use an iPad or iPhone in the classroom to assist with writing down homework assignments, taking notes, etc.
There are many tech solutions - SnapType, using a apple pencil and note-taking app like Notability to easily write and erase and resize by hand, or apps that allow handwriting equations to instantly be translated into legible text or mathematical equations. My DC was allowed to use a computer by third grade for any writing over a a sentence. |
Anonymous
For math, use regular lines paper turned on it's side to use the lines as vertical columns to organize math problems. |
Anonymous
Yes I'm in MCPS with a 504 plan. I did ask for a HIAT consult and am waiting to hear back with their input. Do they provide the apple pencil, ipad and apps? Can I find out the results of the assessment ahead of the meeting? |
Anonymous
You should ask in writing to be provided a copy of the HIAT results or report prior to your next meeting. You are entitled to access it because it is an educational record of the child. Being able to review the record in advance of the meeting enables yoh to be an j formed parent and equal partner of the school team. When you say , “waiting to hear back” from HIAT, I’m not sure what you mean. it used to be that Hiatt was requested by the school team and therefore reported back to the school team and not the parents. of course, Hiatt participated as a member of the school team when reporting out the results of their assessment and their suggestions at the team meeting. My kid had an IEP, and so Hiatt was able to add some instructional hours on the IEP to teach my child how to effectively use the technology. I’m not sure what happens with a 504 plan in terms of providing time for instruction and feedback on assistive technology. It’s been several years, so I’m not sure what HIAT provides now (technology changes fast), but legally speaking, if your child is assessed as needing some kind of assistive technology, the school system has an obligation to provide it for free. But they have an obligation to provide assistive technology to meet a need, and there may be several types of technology that would help. So for example, they wouldn’t provide DC with an iPad and an Apple Pencil to take notes, while recording a lecture, but they did provide him with another kind of voice recording pen that wrote on special paper, so they were meeting the need, but not necessarily with the specific device we would’ve preferred . However, once it was on his IEP plan that he could have access to such a device. It was fine for us to say that he was going to use his own iPad, particularly in the older grades where he could try to keep track of his own devices there is a cheaper level of iPad now that’s compatible with the pencil and they’re a ton of good night notetaking programs like note, ability, and others. In MS, HIAT also provided us with some kind of smart phone or mini Ipad (I can’t remember) and it was sort of locked down, protected by a super tough case and had limited functions. I think that was before DC had an iPhone and we weren’t so confident that he would lose a phone. Ultimately, a year later in 7th grade we bought him a phone & he was great about keeping track of it. HIAT was very helpful and supportive even when the IEP team or a teacher wasn’t. HIAT also has some informative webpages on the MCPS site. |