dysgraphia and computer use-at what age? DD struggles with writing on worksheets

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

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?

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.

Thanks, when I said waiting to hear back, I meant waiting for an upcoming school meeting to here HIATs input. When I independently called HIAT and asked about their process, they said they respond to many requests for consults via zoom---so I don't think they've gone out to the school to observe DD but I could be wrong. I just asked the school team to provide me with any written assessment, if HIAT has done this. Yes, I'm worried that the school team has minimized her needs to the HIAT team (as they continue to do with us), and as a result, she won't get access to the tech that she would benefit from. It's good to hear that HIAT can be helpful and supportive even when the school team has not been.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

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.

This. As a parent of a HS senior with dysgraphia it is as much about the atrocious handwriting (despite 6 years in OT in our case) as it is about getting thoughts out. DS got an accommodation to use his laptop staring in 8th grade and it was a game changer. English is still his weakest subject, but he is getting a B in honors English now. And he often will use grided paper for math that requires handwriting (he is in precalc) although he still does a good bit on his computer.

Part of his accomodation is to get a copy of notes (slow processing speed) but now that he types well, he rarely needs them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

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?

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.

Thanks, when I said waiting to hear back, I meant waiting for an upcoming school meeting to here HIATs input. When I independently called HIAT and asked about their process, they said they respond to many requests for consults via zoom---so I don't think they've gone out to the school to observe DD but I could be wrong. I just asked the school team to provide me with any written assessment, if HIAT has done this. Yes, I'm worried that the school team has minimized her needs to the HIAT team (as they continue to do with us), and as a result, she won't get access to the tech that she would benefit from. It's good to hear that HIAT can be helpful and supportive even when the school team has not been.

One thing you can do is offer your written factual observations about struggles. I used to journal things like, “5 sentence paragraph homework assignment took 1.5 hours. Difficulty brainstorming which caused meltdown and had to take a break. Mom acted as scribe.” Or “DC used speech to text to compose answers for what i did this summer essay. Printed out and edited by hand. Mom entered edits.”. I also used to track what classwork was returned on a daily or weekly basis unfinished, etc. Homework is part of school and HIAT and the team need to address accommodations for homework if that is a locus of problems.