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

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]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. [/quote]

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?  [/quote]

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.

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