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REVOLUTIONARY COMMON SENSE LIBRARY
Curriculum Modifications 106
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WRITING:
By Hand or Otherwise!
Revolutionary Common Sense by Kathie Snow
www.disabilityisnatural.com
IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act): “A child with a disability is not removed from education in age-appropriate regular classes solely because of needed modifications in the general curriculum.” So, under the law, a student should not be denied placement in a regular ed classroom just because she needs curriculum modifications. This is one in a series of articles about curriculum modifications.
Scribbling with a crayon (or mother’s lipstick) is the beginning of handwriting. For many children with developmental disabilities or delays, handwriting may a difficult, or even impossible, skill. But there are many strategies and accommodations to help!
Many kids can write easier with big, fat crayons, pencils, markers, or
paintbrushes—they’re
easier to grab, easier to use, and easier to see. An alternative for some children
may be the use of standard-sized writing tools with a “finger helper” to
enlarge the grip area.
Finger painting may be a helpful prewriting activity. This can be done
with traditional finger paints or you can squirt a big blob of shaving
cream on a tray and let a kid smooth it, draw in it, or make mounds
of it!
In elementary school art class, my son, Benjamin, was provided with fat
paint brushes, but he was really more comfortable finger painting.
With the kind assistance of his art teacher, art projects (from painting
to pottery and everything in between) were modified so Benj could create
beautiful works of art like his classmates!
A table-top easel was always helpful for Benjamin; this brought the paper
closer to him and helped him sit up straighter so he could use his arms
and hands better. Taping the paper down on the easel (or a desk) may
also make a big difference.
A variety of other writing helpers can be found in catalogs and on the
Internet. One is a hard plastic pencil holder in the shape of a roly-poly
bird, which rests on the desk. A pencil is inserted close to the “beak area,” and
the user grips the “body” of the bird to write, without having
to lift the bird off the surface of the desk.
Another helpful item is “raised line” paper. This is similar to
handwriting paper with wide horizontal lines, but the lines on this paper are
raised so the child can feel the border of the writing area.
Rubber name stamps, alphabet and number stamps, and stamps with critters
and other things can also help a young child communicate written language
without having to write with a pencil. With a wide variety of stamps to
choose from, a child can write her name or compose a story! My son
used a name stamp in kindergarten, and he has a variety of name stamps
today (script for use on birthday cards, block style for other uses,
etc.).
While it’s nice to be able to write with a pen/pencil, the percentage
of writing done by hand today is minuscule as compared to the writing done
on computers! So while mastering handwriting has long been considered a critically
important skill, in the Real World it really isn’t anymore. When my son
opens his first checking account, he’ll sign his name with a rubber stamp
after the cash register or the clerk fills in the other blanks (or he can just
use a debit card)!
If a child can learn to write—legibly and quickly—that’s
great. But if a child’s writing is illegible, if handwriting is a frustrating
exercise, and/or if writing is a slow and laborious task, it’s time to
move on to computer use. It just seems downright silly, as well as a waste
of the student’s and the teacher’s time, to focus on handwriting
when there’s a better, more effective, and more appropriate way! And
the earlier a child is exposed to a computer for writing, the sooner he’ll
achieve success.
A wide variety of computer models, keyboards, accessories, and software
is available to budding and experienced writers. Call computer companies
for a catalog, search the Internet, and/or contact an assistive technology
(AT) center in your area to learn what’s available. Some disability organizations
(such as Easter Seals, United Cerebral Palsy, etc.) and some universities have
AT departments, and many states also have some type of AT lending programs.
A child may be able to perform the mechanics of handwriting, but
may have difficulty with composition—deciding what word to use in a sentence, how to construct
sentences, and so forth. “Word predictor” software (by the Don
Johnson Company) or something similar can be a great help to meet a student’s
needs.
My son, who wants to be a writer, is now using Naturally Speaking
software. One-finger typing had served him well for many years, but
with Naturally Speaking, all he has to do is wear a headset and dictate!
The software has “learned” his
voice/speech, and writing is now easier and more productive. (Interestingly,
this is a product that was initially developed for individuals with disabilities,
but versions have now been created for doctors, lawyers, and other professionals
who find dictating more productive and time-saving than typing on a computer.)
Many of us are stuck in 20th Century thinking, believing penmanship
is a both a mark of intelligence and a requirement for a successful
education. But in the 21st Century, we know it is neither (who can
read the handwriting of most physicians???). With curriculum modifications
in writing—using low-tech
devices or state-of-the-art computer technology—students with disabilities
can learn and succeed!
©2006 Kathie Snow, www.disabilityisnatural.com. Permission is granted for non-commercial use of this article: you may print this web page and photocopy it to share with others. Click here to download the PDF handout version of the article. As a courtesy, please tell me (kathie@disabilityisnatural.com) how/when you use it. Do not violate copyright laws: request permission before reprinting or republishing in newsletters, on websites, or in other media
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Our words reflect the way we think, so let's get rid of descriptors like "handicapped, physically disabled, mentally retarded, learning disabled" and other words that focus on the condition instead of the person. People First Language promotes dignity and respect for all!
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