Cursive & Neurodivergence

[Anonymous]

We're considering switching our ND child (ADHD, Level 1 ASD) to private school. Our top choice does require cursive. We've done Handwriting without Tears to master manuscript and aside from a few troublesome letters we're doing well, but the idea of having to teach cursive too I think will lead to confusion, frustration, and more fighting about homework. Anyone BTDT? If you really like the school aside from this, would you just push through and hope for the best?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're considering switching our ND child (ADHD, Level 1 ASD) to private school. Our top choice does require cursive. We've done Handwriting without Tears to master manuscript and aside from a few troublesome letters we're doing well, but the idea of having to teach cursive too I think will lead to confusion, frustration, and more fighting about homework. Anyone BTDT? If you really like the school aside from this, would you just push through and hope for the best?

I think that if the school can't help you problem solve this relatively straightforward issue, then that's a sign it's not the right school.

Wait until your kid is accepted and bring this up. The conversation will tell you whether it's the right place overall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're considering switching our ND child (ADHD, Level 1 ASD) to private school. Our top choice does require cursive. We've done Handwriting without Tears to master manuscript and aside from a few troublesome letters we're doing well, but the idea of having to teach cursive too I think will lead to confusion, frustration, and more fighting about homework. Anyone BTDT? If you really like the school aside from this, would you just push through and hope for the best?

I think that if the school can't help you problem solve this relatively straightforward issue, then that's a sign it's not the right school.

Wait until your kid is accepted and bring this up. The conversation will tell you whether it's the right place overall.

This is a good response. Both of my kids grappled with penmanship - one is ASD/ADHD/Anxiety, the other ADHD or exec function. I’m not aware of a link but I’ve always had problems with penmanship (dysgraphia?) but no one thought of OT or penmanship classes back then. I don’t have any LD - I just grip the pen too hard. I took my kids to a penmanship tutor since the school was not helpful. Can’t say it helped. We all still have terrible penmanship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're considering switching our ND child (ADHD, Level 1 ASD) to private school. Our top choice does require cursive. We've done Handwriting without Tears to master manuscript and aside from a few troublesome letters we're doing well, but the idea of having to teach cursive too I think will lead to confusion, frustration, and more fighting about homework. Anyone BTDT? If you really like the school aside from this, would you just push through and hope for the best?

I think that if the school can't help you problem solve this relatively straightforward issue, then that's a sign it's not the right school.

Wait until your kid is accepted and bring this up. The conversation will tell you whether it's the right place overall.

This is a good response. Both of my kids grappled with penmanship - one is ASD/ADHD/Anxiety, the other ADHD or exec function. I’m not aware of a link but I’ve always had problems with penmanship (dysgraphia?) but no one thought of OT or penmanship classes back then. I don’t have any LD - I just grip the pen too hard. I took my kids to a penmanship tutor since the school was not helpful. Can’t say it helped. We all still have terrible penmanship.

OP again. Same here. I've accepted his handwriting will never be the best. DH, DC, and I are all left-handed with terrible handwriting but can type quickly and don't have any identified LDs. I just want him at a school that recognizes his other strengths and provides a smaller peaceful learning environment. Our public was a total fail. They didn't abide by the IEP, we fought them every step of the way with an expensive advocate, and the classroom environment was pure chaos. We can't go back.

[Anonymous]

Why does the school require cursive?

I ask because our dyslexia schools all “required” cursive because it is one of the easiest and best ways to prevent letter reversals for dyslexic learners and often is better for kids with dysgraphia too.

They are correspondingly good at teaching cursive in a neurodiverse way. OT can also teach cursive if needed.

[Anonymous]

Cursive is actually easier for certain kinds of learning disabilities and special needs. Have you tried cursive and it hasn't worked or are you just assuming it will be harder because it's harder for NT kids? If the latter, I'd give it a try.

[Anonymous]

OP here. The private schools require cursive, but only up to a certain grade then it’s optional. The rationale is it helps spelling and prevents letter reversal. Teaching manuscript was such a chore and he’s nearly got it and I can’t imagine starting over again with another script that will be abandoned soon enough. I’m relieved to hear it wasn’t too bad for your ND learners to pick up.

[Anonymous]

I taught my kid with gross and fine motor issues, dysgraphia, autism and ADHD cursive at a young age, because we're French and over there cursive is taught before block in primary school. In his American public school he was just expected to stumble into whatever handwriting he could. We did handwriting practice starting when he was 4 and continued diligently until middle school, using French cursive workbooks I bought in France or on Amazon (they're called Graphilettre). Now as a young adult, he has a large, relatively unformed hand, and he writes slowly, but it's legible.

My other kid with autism, but no ADHD or dysgraphia has always been excellent with fine motor skills and picked up cursive and block no problem. She preferentially uses cursive at school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. The private schools require cursive, but only up to a certain grade then it’s optional. The rationale is it helps spelling and prevents letter reversal. Teaching manuscript was such a chore and he’s nearly got it and I can’t imagine starting over again with another script that will be abandoned soon enough. I’m relieved to hear it wasn’t too bad for your ND learners to pick up.

What grade is he, and what grade do they start cursive and what grade do they stop requiring it?

That would guide my advice to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. The private schools require cursive, but only up to a certain grade then it’s optional. The rationale is it helps spelling and prevents letter reversal. Teaching manuscript was such a chore and he’s nearly got it and I can’t imagine starting over again with another script that will be abandoned soon enough. I’m relieved to hear it wasn’t too bad for your ND learners to pick up.

What grade is he, and what grade do they start cursive and what grade do they stop requiring it?

That would guide my advice to you.

Entering 1st grade. Required to write cursive until 3rd grade and then can drop it. It’s a short period of time but frustrating because it’s a critical time for reading, spelling, and social skills development. It’s not like I need anything else on my plate to supplement at home. None of the private or publics in our area give hw so it’s up to me to find my own resources.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. The private schools require cursive, but only up to a certain grade then it’s optional. The rationale is it helps spelling and prevents letter reversal. Teaching manuscript was such a chore and he’s nearly got it and I can’t imagine starting over again with another script that will be abandoned soon enough. I’m relieved to hear it wasn’t too bad for your ND learners to pick up.

What grade is he, and what grade do they start cursive and what grade do they stop requiring it?

That would guide my advice to you.

Entering 1st grade. Required to write cursive until 3rd grade and then can drop it. It’s a short period of time but frustrating because it’s a critical time for reading, spelling, and social skills development. It’s not like I need anything else on my plate to supplement at home. None of the private or publics in our area give hw so it’s up to me to find my own resources.

When do they start cursive?

[Anonymous]

Sorry to be off topic, but when and why did schools stop teaching cursive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry to be off topic, but when and why did schools stop teaching cursive?

Why don't you make your own thread?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. The private schools require cursive, but only up to a certain grade then it’s optional. The rationale is it helps spelling and prevents letter reversal. Teaching manuscript was such a chore and he’s nearly got it and I can’t imagine starting over again with another script that will be abandoned soon enough. I’m relieved to hear it wasn’t too bad for your ND learners to pick up.

What grade is he, and what grade do they start cursive and what grade do they stop requiring it?

That would guide my advice to you.

Entering 1st grade. Required to write cursive until 3rd grade and then can drop it. It’s a short period of time but frustrating because it’s a critical time for reading, spelling, and social skills development. It’s not like I need anything else on my plate to supplement at home. None of the private or publics in our area give hw so it’s up to me to find my own resources.

Cursive really could be helpful to language development - reading and spelling. I assume that’s why they are teaching it, not to torture kids. Beyond that, just because they teach it doesn’t mean you have to supplement. It’s elementary school. Let him “fail” cursive if the school can’t teach him effectively. You don’t have to supplement everything to mastery! Your kid needs to learn to read and write (not handwriting, but the thinking part of writing) in elementary school. Even if they teach cursive he doesn’t have to excel at it. Learning how to be mediocre at some things and do them anyway is also a good skill to have.

[Anonymous]

I had to learn cursive and have ADHD and autism. There was no confusion whatsoever but I have crap fine motor skills so it never looked particularly neat. Legible, but not neat.