Children with special needs may struggle with learning handwriting because they have physical or neurological challenges, developmental delays or associated learning disabilities, lack of opportunities to learn or practice, or inadequate support, modifications and accommodations. Students who struggle with handwriting may be diagnosed with dysgraphia.
Expressive students who enjoy learning may lose their interest in school when they start to struggle with printing or cursive writing. Some children may not have developed the motor coordination or physical skills needed to use a pen, pencil, or marker and stay 'between the lines.' Others may have perceptual difficulties so they see the shape of the letters differently and may not have the confidence or grasp to copy individual letters.
There are many high tech as well as low tech solutions for helping a child learn to write. When my son was small, I used an exacto knife to cut out a template for him to write his name on the back of Valentines. When his older sister saw it, she said she would have liked that when she was first learning.
I had also printed up small address labels with messages on them for my son to stick to the backs or envelopes of the Valentines. One said, "My name is -----. Down syndrome is just a challenge. Let me show you what I can do." This was for the parents who might look at their child's Valentines at home - his classmates did not seem to find Down syndrome made him that interesting or different.
Because writing is a complicated process that involves physical skills, motor planning, spelling, and other thought processes involved in any kind of communication, learning to print or write in cursive may benefit a student in multiple ways. Some fonts used in teaching printing are easily connected when a student moves on to cursive writing, and many children find that cursive writing is easier than printing even if the two fonts taught to them were not designed to relate.
Because there are different causes and forms of dysgraphia, researchers and educators often find that individual children benefit from multiple strategies, modifications and accommodations. Some students will need long term support, and others will benefit from short term interventions. Many students with dysgraphia benefit from assistive technology used for written expression and may prefer to use keyboards or other technology even after they have become proficient at handwriting.
Children and teens with physical challenges or limited mobility may use Morse code; some find keys or buttons with pictures or words on them that stand for phrases or whole sentences useful when they write. Word prediction software and other innovations continue to make writing easier for children and teens with special needs.
Some children are not taught to write at school because their diagnosis, physical abilities, or performance on evaluations predict they won't be able to learn. Because such a wide variety of students with similar diagnoses have learned to write and communicate how important it was for them to accomplish this goal, there has been a strong advocacy effort for opportunities and best practices to be offered to children growing up today.
Most students with dysgraphia or other obstacles have been able to learn handwriting in spite of their challenges. Parents often contribute to this effort by helping their sons and daughters at home, whether they have directions from a teacher or specialist, or must to do their own research and develop materials themselves. Sometimes the only way to persuade administrators or educators that a student will benefit from support or accommodations is demonstrate how much our children have learned at home.
If you have had difficulties with handwriting while you were in school, you might feel uncomfortable and inadequate about teaching your child at home, but the strategies that you discover at your public library, bookstore or on the internet may help you understand what you needed while you were growing up. I hope you find the support, encouragement and information available that will help your children develop their full potential.
National Center for Learning Disabilities
http://www.ncld.org
Warning Signs of Dysgraphia
Teaching Strategies, Accommodations and Modifications for Early Writers
Exploring and Designing Technology Solutions for Today's Educational Needs and Children with Learning Differences
http://www.ashleysmom.com/index.html
Transitional Fonts for Emerging Writers
http://www.ashleysmom.com/pages/transfonts.html
Inclusion at Its Best
http://www.ashleysmom.com/pages/inclusion.html
Ashley's Mom website
Tech Aides and Support
http://www.ashleysmom.com
Using Handwriting Without Tears for Children with Disabilities
http://www.hwtears.com/therapists/hints.html#using
Bright Solutions for Dyslexia
Handwriting Issues - Dysgraphia
http://www.dys-add.com/symptoms.html
Dyslexia - Preschool Warning Signs
Books available through Amazon.com, local booksellers and, ideally, public libraries:
Teaching by Design - Using Your Computer to Create Materials for Students with Learning Differences
Handwriting Without Tears
Sensory Smarts
Handwriting Without Tears
Sensory Smarts
AlphaSmart
Raising NLD Superstars - What Families with Nonverbal Learning Disabilities Need to Know about Nurturing Confident, Competent Kids
Creative Expressive Activities and Asperger's Syndrome - Social and Emotional Skills and Positive Life Goals for Adolescents and Young Adults
Teaching Conversation to Children with Autism - Scripts and Script Fading
Working Together - Reading and Writing in Inclusive Classrooms
Literacy Skill Development for Students with Special Learning Needs - A Strength Based Approach
Working with Visually Impaired Young Students - A Curriculum Guide for 3 to 5 Year Olds
Education of Children with Vision Impairment
Children with Vision Impairments - A Guide for Parents
Literacy Development for Children with Vision Impairment - A Guide for Parents
Teaching Motor Skills to Children With Cerebral Palsy And Similar Movement Disorders
The Gift of ADHD - How to Transform Your Child's Problems into Strengths
The Gift of ADHD - Activity Book
Celebrate ADHD
The Edison Gene - ADHD and the Gift of the Hunter Child
Making ADHD a Gift - Teaching Superman How to Fly
The ADHD Affected Athlete
National Center for Learning Disabilities
Teaching Strategies Accommodations and Modifications for Young Students
Teaching Strategies Accommodations and Modifications for Teens and Adults
Margaret Kay on Dysgraphia:
Dysgraphia due to spelling disabilities, motor coordination, language disabilities
http://www.margaretkay.com/Dysgraphia.htm
Dysgraphia due to anatomical problems, executive dysfunction,
motor planning or visual-spatial perception
Dysgraphia due to dyslexia, motor clumsiness, or lack of understanding of spacing
Dysgraphia due to developmental disability, psychosocial deprivation,
poor school attendance or lack of direct instruction in written language
http://www.margaretkay.com/Dysgraphia.htm
Dysgraphia and Children with Aspergers Syndrome
Universal Design for Learning - Access to General Education Curriculum
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art50363.asp
teAchnology Website:
Handwriting Lesson Plans
http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/lesson_plans/language_arts/handwriting
Language Arts Based Teaching Theme Units - Handwriting
http://www.teach-nology.com/themes/lang_arts/handwriting
A to Z Home's Cool Homeschooling
Resources for Teaching Handwriting
http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/weblinks/handwriting.htm
Teaching Handwriting - Lisa Marnell, OTR MA
http://www.handwritinghelpforkids.com
Gentle Teaching - Teaching children and adults with developmental disabilities to feel safe, loved, loving, and engaged
http://www.gentleteaching.com
Sensory Integration as a Daily Strategy of Care Giving
http://www.gentleteaching.nl/sensory.htm
Love and Learning
http://www.loveandlearning.com
Universal Design for Learning - Access to General Education Curriculum
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art50363.asp
Signing, Reading and Spelling
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art33567.asp
Reading Readiness and Reading Strategies
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art35577.asp
Equine Therapy and Assistive Technology in Communication
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art32724.asp
Communication, Autism, and Developmental Disabilities
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art49475.asp
Teaching the Power of Communication
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art32725.asp
Teaching Math Skills
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art38411.asp
Recess Skills for Children with Special Needs
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art432.asp
Is Diversity Like A New Box of Crayons?
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art5144.asp
Printing and Cursive Handwriting for Children with Special Needs
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art51023.asp
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