5 technological aids to assist people who have handwriting difficulties
5 technological aids to assist people who have handwriting difficulties
He was diagnosed with dysgraphia when he was seven years old, and is now a nine-year-old school student. He has difficulty gripping a pencil, which results in hand cramps and fatigue all of the time.
His handwriting was unusual and inconsistent, which made it difficult to read. His father recalls, "It was heartbreaking to see him struggle to write at home because it appeared that his teachers were punishing him by making him write in class."
Written communication, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), requires a complex set of motor and information processing skills, including the ability to organize thoughts coherently before putting them down on paper.
Dysgraphia, on the other hand, impairs these abilities to varying degrees.
In the months leading up to the diagnosis, I had received numerous reports from his teachers stating that my son was lazy and incapable of writing. They advised me to remove him from the situation. Henry, on the other hand, was a natural communicator. He was able to communicate and express himself clearly in words. I had a feeling something wasn't quite right. "As a result, I took him to be diagnosed in 2019," his father explains.
Dysgraphia is a neurological condition that affects the ability to write and perform fine motor skills. A learning disability that affects both children and adults, it has an impact on nearly every aspect of the writing process, including spelling, legibility, word spacing, and font size.
Dysgraphia is a condition that affects the ability to write
Despite its prevalence, dysgraphia is a condition that has received little attention from researchers around the world. Consequently, it is difficult to estimate the prevalence of dysgraphia.
Researchers conducted by Dr. Reynold Cecil Randy, an American psychology professor, found that the prevalence of dysgraphia ranged from 5 to 20 percent around the world, depending on the country. Men, on the other hand, are more likely than women to suffer from dysgraphia.
Typically, dysgraphia manifests itself when a child is first introduced to the written word. Although they have received extensive instruction, they consistently write letters that are incorrectly sized and spaced or misspell words, resulting in poor handwriting.
In spite of this, dysgraphia may go unnoticed from childhood until adulthood..
Typically, when dysgraphia manifests itself in childhood, it is the result of a problem with orthographic coding.
Orthographic coding, according to the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), a non-profit education and advocacy organization devoted to issues surrounding dyslexia, is the ability to store written words in working memory while the letters in the words are being analyzed by the brain.
It is also described as the ability to form long-term memories of written words that are associated with their pronunciation and meaning by the International Dyslexia Association (IDA).
Furthermore, children who have dysgraphia do not have a primary developmental motor disorder, which is another cause of poor handwriting in children. Although they may have difficulty planning sequential finger movements in the absence of visual feedback, such as touching the thumb to successive fingers on the same hand, they may be successful in the long run.
In one study, students with dysgraphia reported difficulties in learning, completing coursework, communicating, putting ideas down on paper, demonstrating knowledge, and keeping up with their classmates and teachers' instructions.
This can also result in or exacerbate deficits in students' emotional, academic, and social development, as well as "impact factors such as self-efficacy, self-esteem, anxiety, and depression, all of which are linked to educational motivation, achievement, and persistence," according to the researchers. "
It is most common in adults after a traumatic event, and it is usually associated with damage to the parietal lobe of the brain, according to the American Psychological Association.
Individuals who suffer from dysgraphia frequently use the wrong words to convey their message to others. For example, instead of using the word "child," they use the word "boy."
Although children with dysgraphia may have excellent oral communication skills, they may be misunderstood as being lazy, uninterested, or indifferent because they are unable to write.
As a result, dysgraphia makes it difficult for both children and adults to plan and execute a written sentence, words, or even individual letters in a written form. Consequently, it is not the case that people who have dysgraphia are unable to read, spell, or recognize letters and words. It's just that their brains have a difficult time processing words and writing.
Because of this, it is critical to recognize that dysgraphia is a neurological disorder rather than a cognitive impairment.
The relationship between dysgraphia and dyslexia
According to a study, dysgraphia was initially considered a form of dyslexia until 1936, when Anna Gillingham — an educator and psychologist best known for her contributions to the Orton-Gillingham method of teaching dyslexic children to read — led a series of workshops on reading, spelling, and handwriting for dyslexic children.
Dyslexia and dysgraphia are both disorders that are based on language. Dysgraphia, on the other hand, is a writing disorder that affects both reading and writing.
More specifically, both disabilities make it difficult for people to convert phonemes (sounds) into graphemes, which is essential for reading and writing (letters in written form). In other words, they have an impact on the ability to spell.
According to Lexercise, a Structured Language Therapy program for children with learning disabilities that is based on the Orton Gillingham methodology, language disorders can occur on their own or in conjunction with other issues.
Because of this, dysgraphia can occur alongside other learning disabilities, including dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Dysgraphia is a learning disability that requires assistive technology
Some beneficial assistive technologies (AT) can assist students and adults with dysgraphia in gaining access to information and demonstrating what they know through written communication and demonstration.
According to a study conducted by the University of Washington, identifying a set of appropriate assistive technology tools and techniques for a specific individual may necessitate a period of trial and error.
Because of this, people with learning disabilities should be included in the decision-making process when selecting technology. They should be involved in determining what is effective for them.
Students with dysgraphia can use the following five assistive technology tools to test them, discard them, adapt them, or refine them.
1. Pencil Grips
The Pencil Grip was created in 1992 by Dr. Lois Provda, an educational therapist, and is now widely used in classrooms, homes, and therapeutic settings throughout the world.
Pencil Grips are small attachments that are placed at the end of a pencil to make it more comfortable to hold. They assist a child in grasping a pencil in a practical and accurate manner.
An appropriately used Pencil Grip can assist in the development of fine motor skills and handwriting control. Its distinctive, one-of-a-kind design gently supports the fingers and hand in the proper gripping position. It is available in two sizes.
The thumb, index, and middle fingers are perfectly aligned with the pencil when using a Pencil Grip that fits over the pencil. Children who correctly grasp a pencil are able to write more quickly and neatly without tiring out their hand muscles as they grow older.
Because there are so many different Pencil Grips available, it is critical to understand the specific requirements of each child.
For students who wrap their thumbs around their index fingers, there is a Pencil Grip with built-in guards, for example, which is available. The use of this type of Pencil Grip may make it easier for their fingers to maintain proper posture while wearing the protectors on their hands.
2. Slant boards
In order to promote proper wrist position and improve handwriting, occupational therapists frequently use writing on a slanted surface to promote proper wrist position and improve handwriting.
According to a recent study conducted by Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in Florida, "when using a slant board set at 20 degrees, the handwriting task is modified by elevating the upper extremity to stabilize the wrist in extension while also allowing the hand and forearm to rest on a supportive surface."
The slant board facilitates proper posture while also gradually developing proximal stability, which is beneficial for handwriting.
A slant board is used to improve pencil grip because the concept behind it is based on the position of the wrist.
In order to produce legible written work, a student must move their wrist and elbow in a fluid motion at the appropriate time. The wrist must be extended or bent upwards in order to be effective.
As a result, using a slant board while writing encourages wrist extension by causing the wrist to extend while the fingers flex and naturally fall into a more comfortable writing position.
3. Visual Organizers (Graphic Organizers)
According to the Learning Disabilities Association of America, people who have learning disabilities are frequently visual learners and thinkers in their thinking. The association of ideas, words, and concepts with visuals such as pictures, diagrams, charts, and maps aids in the understanding and retention of information.
As a result, graphic organizers are becoming increasingly popular.
Individuals suffering from dysgraphia, executive functioning issues, or other issues that cause writing difficulties can benefit from using graphic organizers, which are simple but effective tools.
Gantt charts are visual thinking aids that assist individuals in visualizing their thoughts and concepts. As they construct the map or diagram, the images serve to show the relationships between facts, concepts, or ideas and to guide their thinking.
Venn diagrams, concept maps, mind maps, and flow charts are just a few of the graphic organizers available.
Diagrams that show how different things or ideas can overlap in order to show, compare, or contrast relationships are known as Venn diagrams.
Concept maps aid in the organization of information, the brainstorming of ideas, the visualisation of those ideas, and the planning of what you want to write.
Known as mind maps, these graphical representations of hierarchical data include a central idea that is surrounded by connected branches of related topics.
Using them is an excellent way to come up with new ideas as well as solve problems as well as illustrate relationships and/or process components. Mind mapping software such as XMind, Mindly, and Coggle are examples of this type of software.
Flow charts are visual organizers that depict how different steps in a process interact with one another and with the environment. These characteristics make them valuable tools for communicating how methods work and documenting how a specific job is completed.
Flow charting a process can aid in the clarification of the process as well as the identification of areas where the process can be improved.
4. The use of keyboards and touchscreens
Because handwriting can be painful and exhausting for people who suffer from dysgraphia, it is necessary to type written work on a computer.
The use of keyboards and touchscreens allows them to enter letters and words into their computers simply by typing or touching the screen. So, for someone who has dysgraphia, a keyboard with alphabetical keys or vowels and consonants in different colors may be the best option.
5. The use of dictation
Those who have difficulty writing can benefit from speech-to-text technology (also known as voice-to-text), voice recognition technology (also known as speech recognition technology), and speech recognition software. It is a program that converts spoken words into text.
Dictation, rather than writing by hand or using a keyboard, allows people to write words by speaking them aloud on the computer screen. Dictation can be used to write, edit, and revise a piece of work by someone.
Aside from the built-in dictation tools that are available on devices such as computers, smartphones, digital tablets, and Chromebooks, dictation tools that are accessible via the web, apps, and software are also available.
There are a variety of other tools available
Predictive text, writing guides, raised-line paper, lettering stencils, electronic dictionaries and thesaurus, and Word Banks are some of the other tools that can be used to assist people who have dysgraphia.
Grammarly is an app that assists people with spelling and grammar issues that they may overlook because they are more concerned with the content of their writing rather than the structure of their writing.
Evernote is a note-taking application that enables users to photograph worksheets and type answers directly into the blanks of the worksheets. Moreover, it can be synchronized across devices, allowing users to access their notes and other items no matter where they are in their workday.
Important to recognize is that an individual with a learning disability cannot be cured with assistive technology because there is no known cure for any learning disability.
Without a doubt, rather than focusing on a person's limitations, assistive technology (AT) tools enable them to demonstrate and apply their intelligence and knowledge.
Therefore, with occupational therapy and support from parents, teachers, and other loved ones, assistive technology (AT) tools can help people with dysgraphia achieve their full potential in school and at home.
