Is there a 'barton' for dysgraphia?

[Ariston]

I hope I haven't asked a similar question before.

 

Is there something like Barton for dysgraphia...and by that I mean a program that is easy to implement and virtually guaranteed to remediate the problem? Also ridiculously expensive?  OK, that last part I'm willing to do without.. ;)

 

My son is 12 and his writing/drawing still look the same as when he was 4.  I admit I have pretty much given up on any handwriting in the last few years.  Years ago, when he was still learning to write, he was able to write well for maybe two lines.  But it took so much out of  him that I've basically stopped any requirements for writing. Maybe this is a disservice.  Perhaps if I had continued with short daily practice his writing would improve?  But I really saw no improvement from the work he was doing.

 

So is there any advice for me?  Is there a program that I can use that will help?  Or will short daily practice help?  Or is it the kind of thing he is just stuck with more or less?  Ideally I want him to get to the place where when he writes in his every day life it is legible.  Right now when he writes on his own (like if he's making a Christmas list) it is really hard/impossible to read.

 

Thank you :)

[Code Lyoko]

1.  Have you looked into OT/PT/Developmental vision screening through a COVD?  Depending on how severe the issue, getting help from a professional may be more effective than just daily practice at home.  There are many underlying causes for dysgraphia.  You need to try and find out what the underlying cause/causes are, if at all possible.

 

2.  Have you started training him to type?  It may take years to master and will probably need daily short practice (I found using an outside program that did not penalize for time and encouraged accuracy over speed worked far better for me and my children than me trying to create and implement a typing class of my own).  If he isn't learning to type yet, I would absolutely start him on typing.  Keep lessons short.  Find something that does not penalize for time.  Focus on accuracy.  Speed should come eventually, once accuracy is mastered.

 

3.  If you are scribing for him you might also look into software that will do the same thing.

 

4.  FWIW, profound dysgraphia is not always something that can be corrected.  I have family members with profound dysgraphia that worked for years and years to improve and were not able to.  They feel now that what would have benefited them more was a larger focus of time and energy on training to use outside support systems in an effective manner BEFORE they hit college.  Two have absolutely illegible handwriting.  Not just bad but truly illegible.  They still went on to have success in college and in their careers, it was just a lot of work at first to find a way to make it through.  They have to type everything they possibly can and have others scribe for them when typing and text to speech/speech to text software cannot be implemented, but they function well.  

Edited November 14, 2016 by Code Lyoko

[Ariston]

He is learning to type.  He is decent at it, and improving.  We will definitely keep doing that.

 

Regarding getting outside help I can look into it.  We live in a pretty rural area...2.5 hours from a city of any size, so I'm not sure what resources there are.

Would you (or others) recommend daily practice or is it a lot of pain for not a lot of gain?

[OneStepAtATime]

That depends on the underlying cause or causes.  For some kids daily practice does help some or even a lot.  However, if there are underlying issues that an OT/PT needs to address then just constantly practicing writing words and sentences may not net much of anything but frustration and even physical pain.  Even if you couldn't get therapy for him, just getting an evaluation might help you to fill in some of the bigger picture here and how to address it.  It might be worth the trip.  After evaluations they might be able to steer you towards things you could do at home to help.  

[PeterPan]

Here the OTs will work on handwriting some, but they'll also do visual perception, drawing, and typing.  They transition to typing by that age, definitely.  So if he were getting OT here, they'd be working on getting his typing functional.

 

My dd needed Dvorak, an alternate keyboard layout.  I always mention it, because it helped us a lot.

 

Are you using tech like dictation on your devices, Inspiration software, etc.?

[geodob]

While it can be handy to hand-write a List on a piece of paper.

These bits of paper, often get lost or left on a table?

It's much more practical, to simply type a list on a smartphone, which is easy to find.

 

Learning to hand-write, could be taken up as a hobby?

But by the time that he finishes high school, the pen might have disappeared?

Where all tests are done on a keyboard.

 

Hand-writing, is just one way of recording our thinking.

Though recently, just a 156 years ago, a new method was developed? Using a new device called a 'type-writer'.

So that over a 100 years ago, handwriting was replaced by typing in the business world.

 

But a 100 years later, schools are still using hand-writing as standard practice.

Though their has been one advance?  Where left-handed children, are no longer forced to write with their right hand.

 

Rather than focusing on remediation for one particular method of recording and communicating information?   Hand-writing?

The focus needs to shift, to help each child to develop their own method. Of effectively recording, editing and communicating information.

[City Mouse]

Are you specifically concerned about the physical aspects of handwriting, or the though process of composing a written message.

If you want a program specifically for handwriting, many OT's use Handwriting Without Tears, but I would strongly suggest that you don't just purchase the books and try to go with that. It is worth the cost to attend a HWT training session, and with the training, each participant gets a full set of all the workbooks and teacher's guides.

[Heathermomster]

By aged 12, DS was typing most everything and using graph paper for math.  If I were to ask my DS to make a list, he would be using Evernote and typing the list in his phone.  I make lists by using speech to tech on whatever device I happen to be using, and I don't have dysgraphia.

 

The severity of your son's dysgraphia will affect his progress, and I think most of us accept that a certain amount of tech will be necessary.  My son's dysgraphia is coupled with EF issues.  IDK about your child, but the EF issues are far more important to deal with than handwriting.  

 

To answer your question, Dianne Craft sells a handwriting program.  You will have to decide how much bandwidth and money you wish to expend on it.  You could teach your boy to type, spend 10 minutes per day working on handwriting, and then work on getting him comfortable with tech and accommodations.  I am currently in love with the iPad Pro, and we have been using the Notability app with the Apple Pen.  Love it!  I also recommend that you take him to an OT for an hour long evaluation.  An OT or ped PT can work with him to improve strength and motor planning.

Edited November 16, 2016 by Heathermomster