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Special Words for Special Needs ~ When Writing is a Struggle
9:07 AM, Sep. 18, 2009
Fall is off to a wonderful start here. The weather is crisp and the garden is already dying back. Sad to see it but we are thrilled with the results of our hard work. The harvest and canning we did this year is more than any other year. I can sit back and see the end result of our hard work.
This week on the porch we are talking about writing. I equate writing to the end result of hard work. If you work hard, then you will have a mountain of work to show for it at the end of the year. I thought that right up until I started homeschooling my son. He works hard but he just doesn't produce written work. We, on average, get a page or two from all his work for a day. He learns. He listens. He tries, but writing is a struggle that blocks his natural output of producing finished work. When you stop and look at writing by itself there are a couple of general problems. 1. Like with an eye problem, look at the obvious first. Is there a physical problem with your child's hands? Does your child have the hand strength to adequately manipulate a pencil? One of my daughters has cerebral palsy, low tone. It makes long term writing a problem, with frequent breaks and changes with the use of her hands (such as using soft playdough). Then she does well. 2. Does your child have a dysgraphia processing problem? Is there a problem getting the information from the brain onto the paper? Sometimes giving more time without stressful overtones will help. Perhaps start with a subject that your child really loves. 3. Does your child have a sensory issue? If your child has a defensive sensory problem they may dislike intensely holding a pencil, crayon, or scissors. On the other hand if your child is a seeker, they may put so much pressure into writing that they break lead tips, and use up their hand strength quickly. Both children may be helped by using pencil grips, or hand massages right before starting the day. 4. Is your child a perfectionist? A child like this will not stop erasing the slightest mistake, or throws away papers that are not up to his internal standard. Teach him that there will be several drafts, and mistakes will be fixed as you go. The object of first drafts is to get the idea on to paper, perfection is not the goal. You may want to look up manuscripts and show your child that even the great authors made many mistakes. Show them what an editor does, again reinforcing that writing is a process. Here are some more great tips: Raised line paper or editing paper that has yellow lines every other one. Handwritng without Tears or ReadyWriter are good starting points for handwriting. Pencil grips, mechanical pencils, different lead strengths, or even a pen or crayon--try it see what works best! Small, highly interesting writing projects. Allow for alternative methods such as voice activated software, or tape recording. Be sure, if your teen is facing college and this will continue to be a problem during college, to get a diagnosis. If you obtain a learning disability diagnosis before the age 18, it will transfer into getting help and extra time in the college years. I have heard of too many colleges and jobs ignoring a disability because it was not "diagnosised as a child". Therefore it must not have affected your schooling and you should be fine now. This line a thinking is based in the belief that all children, especially disabled children, go to public school. Writing is a major method of verifying your child is learning. Also, writing is a major form of communication. Show your child the fun in writing. Show your child the need for writing. Let them be encouraged that you are there to help them excel one assignment at a time! Heather lives in West Virginia. She and her husband have been homeschooling their 5 children for 8 years. Due to a genetic disorder their children have multiple special needs. Living life to the fullest for the glory of God is their goal! Visit Heather's page at www.homeschoolblogger.com/gfcfmomofmany/ or at Special Needs Homeschooling. Comments 
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