The document discusses dysgraphia, a learning disability that impairs writing abilities, emphasizing the need for specific accommodations and strategies to support individuals. It outlines various techniques for reducing writing difficulties, such as using sensory guides, assistive technologies, and modifying assignments, to help students express their ideas more effectively. The importance of continuous practice and utilizing both specialists and familiar support systems is highlighted to foster improvement in writing skills.

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Using Technologies to Support Dysgraphia
Dysgraphia is a learning disability that affects writing abilities. It can manifest itself as
difficulties with spelling, poor handwriting and trouble putting thoughts on paper. Because
writing requires a complex set of motor and information processing skills, saying a student has
dysgraphia is not sufficient. A student with disorders in written expression will benefit from
specific accommodations in the learning environment, as well as additional practice learning the
skills required to be an accomplished writer.
Just having bad handwriting doesn't mean a person has dysgraphia. Since dysgraphia is a
processing disorder, difficulties can change throughout a lifetime. However since writing is a
developmental process -children learn the motor skills needed to write, while learning the
thinking skills needed to communicate on paper - difficulties can also overlap.
If a person has trouble in any of the areas below, additional help may be beneficial.
Tight, awkward pencil grip and body position
Illegible handwriting

2. Avoiding writing or drawing tasks
Tiring quickly while writing
Saying words out loud while writing
Unfinished or omitted words in sentences
Difficulty organizing thoughts on paper
Difficulty with syntax structure and grammar
Large gap between written ideas and understanding demonstrated through speech.
There are many ways to help a person with dysgraphia achieve success. Generally strategies fall
into three categories:
Accommodations: providing alternatives to written expression
Modifications: changing expectations or tasks to minimize or avoid the area of weakness
Remediation: providing instruction for improving handwriting and writing skills
Each type of strategy should be considered when planning instruction and support. A person with
dysgraphia will benefit from help from both specialists and those who are closest to the person.
Finding the most beneficial type of support is a process of trying different ideas and openly
exchanging thoughts on what works best.
Below are some examples of how to teach individuals with dysgraphia to overcome some of
their difficulties with written expression.
Use paper with raised lines for a sensory guide to staying within the lines.
Try different pens and pencils to find one that's most comfortable.
Practice writing letters and numbers in the air with big arm movements to improve motor
memory of these important shapes. Also practice letters and numbers with smaller hand
or finger motions.
Encourage proper grip, posture and paper positioning for writing. It's important to
reinforce this early as it's difficult for students to unlearn bad habits later on.
Use multi-sensory techniques for learning letters, shapes and numbers. For example,
speaking through motor sequences, such as "b" is "big stick down, circle away from my
body."
Introduce a word processor on a computer early; however do not eliminate handwriting
for the child. While typing can make it easier to write by alleviating the frustration of
forming letters, handwriting is a vital part of a person's ability to function in the world.
Be patient and positive, encourage practice and praise effort - becoming a good writer takes time
and practice.
Young Students
Allow use of print or cursive - whichever is more comfortable.
Use large graph paper for math calculation to keep columns and rows organized.
Allow extra time for writing assignments.
Begin writing assignments creatively with drawing, or speaking ideas into a tape recorder

3. Alternate focus of writing assignments - put the emphasis on some for neatness and
spelling, others for grammar or organization of ideas.
Explicitly teach different types of writing - expository and personal essays, short stories,
poems, etc.
Do not judge timed assignments on neatness and spelling.
Have students proofread work after a delay - it's easier to see mistakes after a break.
Help students create a checklist for editing work - spelling, neatness, grammar, syntax,
clear progression of ideas, etc.
Encourage use of a spell checker - speaking spell checkers are available for handwritten
work
Reduce amount of copying; instead, focus on writing original answers and ideas
Have student complete tasks in small steps instead of all at once.
Find alternative means of assessing knowledge, such as oral reports or visual projects
Encourage practice through low-stress opportunities for writing such as letters, a diary, making
household lists or keeping track of sports teams.
Teenagers & Adults
Provide tape recorders to supplement note taking and to prepare for writing assignments.
Create a step-by-step plan that breaks writing assignments into small tasks (see below).
When organizing writing projects, create a list of keywords that will be useful.
Provide clear, constructive feedback on the quality of work, explaining both the strengths
and weaknesses of the project, commenting on the structure as well as the information
that is included.
Use assistive technology such as voice-activated software if the mechanical aspects of
writing remain a major hurdle.
Many of these tips can be used by all age groups. It is never too early or too late to reinforce the
skills needed to be a good writer.
Though teachers and employers are required by law to make "reasonable accommodations" for
individuals with learning disabilities, they may not be aware of how to help. Speak to them about
dysgraphia, and explain the challenges you face as a result of your learning disability.

4. Young Children
Trouble With:
Tight, awkward
pencil grip and
body position
Avoiding writing
or drawing tasks
Trouble forming
letter shapes
Inconsistent
spacing between
letters or words
Poor
understanding of
uppercase and
lowercase letters
Inability to write
or draw in a line
or within margins
Tiring quickly
while writing
School-Age Children
Trouble With:
Illegible handwriting
Mixture of cursive
and print writing
Saying words out
loud while writing
Concentrating so
hard on writing that
comprehension of
what's written is
missed
Trouble thinking of
words to write
Omitting or not
finishing words in
sentences
Teenagers and Adults
Trouble With:
Trouble
organizing
thoughts on
paper
Trouble keeping
track of
thoughts
already written
down
Difficulty with
syntax structure
and grammar
Large gap
between
written ideas
and
understanding
demonstrated
through speech
There is also a many tools that can be used in a classroom to help students with dysgraphia. Although
many tools can help students with dysgraphia, it is important to still practice handwriting. Handwriting is
a life skill that should not be avoided. Sanacore (1991) finds that students with dysgraphia are greatly
helped by seeing their writing clearly on a computer.
TextExpander takes small snippets of frequently used text and expanded them. For example, type
in ;em and it will expand to your email address. This saves time typing often repeated phrases.
There are many voice dictation program available. A few years ago, you had to buy a program
like Dragon. Now, voice dictation is built into Windows and Mac. I’m even dictating this right
now. Even cell phones are getting the ability to talk to them with Siri and Google Voice Search.
Any of these programs would allow someone with dysgraphia to talk through a paper instead of
having to write or type it out.
VoiceThread allows the user to record their voice and attach it to a slide. They can make their
slides either pictures, or videos, and other people can comment on the same slide. In addition to
not having to write or type, getting verbal feedback from anyone is great.

5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSESgl3gCFM
One of the newer recommendations is a calculator, but not just any calculator. MyScript
Calculator lets the user draw on the screen with their finger instead of tapping. This is a huge
benefit for a person with dysgraphia because on a screen the size of an iPad, it makes writing
more of a gross motor movement than a fine motor movement.
An app to reinforce handwriting would be iWriteWords. It is targeted more for toddlers, and I
think the childishness might be a bit too much older kids. Just like MyScript Calculator, it
focuses on large motor movements to practice drawing out letters.
Living with a learning disability can be difficult. Every learning disability is different and every
child is different. With dysgraphia, it may always take extra time to write a paper, or to do math
homework. But there are many technologies that can ease the transition to be better students.
Samobor, 14.03.2014.
I recommend to study:
1. How I fixed my Dysgraphia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0WkTVH-UaA
2. What Is Dysgraphia?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmBg_BvDL-c

6. 3. Learning Disabilities, What Are the Different Types?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG_xSBsFMPQ
4. "Smart Kids Who Hate to Write" by Dianne Craft | Curing Dysgrap
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Tq5J5yrAN0
5. Dysgraphia: Looking at Poor Handwriting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwV_aGqvTrE&list=PLVOwjex6x3mcltIPX74dFIoDFz2SrHLPQ
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