Why I make my students with ASD write - and why you need to too!


Hi everyone, it's Christie from My Mum, the Teacher here, and today I'm going to be sharing with you the reasons I have for making kids with ASD in my classes hand write the majority of their tasks, rather than use their devices to type up work, and why we all need to continue encouraging and developing our children's handwriting skills.


21st Century Literacy and Learning:
Some may argue that in the age of technology we don't need to have such as strong focus on handwriting anymore - writing skills aren't that important since we have so many software programs that automatically edit our grammar, spelling and sentence structure mistakes. But as Kathleen Blake Yancey points out in her paper, "Writing in the 21st Century", we are writing more than we ever have before, both in print and on paper. But as teachers we face the challenge of  "developing new models of writing; designing a new curriculum supporting those models; and creating models for teaching that curriculum" (Yancey, 2009) to match the new styles of writing that have emerged.

Many of us grew up in a time when we became literate by reading, writing, speaking and listening. We used phones to speak to another person, and a computer was a very expensive item that was very much a dream for most families!!!!! But children are being born into a world where computers, tablets and smartphones are common place, texts are increasingly multi-modal (that is, they are created using different modes working together), and swiping and typing and learnt before handwriting.

The challenges of teaching handwriting:
Nowadays, many students master writing mid-primary school. However for those with learning difficulties, including those who have high IQ's, handwriting becomes an arduous task because it takes them so long to do - they often draw their letters, unlike neurotypical learners who learn to print them. And while it may seem like handwriting is a relatively minor problem when comparing them to some of their other challenges, it can have an impact upon their learning, even if their functioning at the expected or better-than-expected level.

While most teachers are aware that those on the Spectrum have social and communication issues, there is also a proportion of children who have fine-motor and dexterity issues which pose an issue when it comes to handwriting (It should be noted that not ALL children with ASD have fine motor and handwriting issues - some have wonderful penmanship and artistic skills). While it is often encouraged by parents and external therapists that students use a device such as a tablet or laptop to complete their school work to alleviate some of the anxiety that may come with having students write by hand, this can often be a more frustrating process if students have not had appropriate training and interaction with the device.

Most (NOT ALL) children on the Spectrum often develop a strong liking (some would say addiction) to technology and devices, and enjoy playing games. I've always found it amazing that kids who can whip through games and know every keyboard shortcut and cheat combination can often only type with a single digit, and have no idea of typing keyboard short cuts! I'm working with boys in Year 9, and not one of them is a confident and 'speedy' typer! With this class, and others in the past, I have removed the devices in favour of having the child hand-write their work, with assistance from myself or the teachers aid.

So, how do you ensure you're not making an already anxious child more anxious by asking them to write, but ensure they also improve their handwriting AND typing skills? It's all about balance, and being prepared to challenge them.

1. Set HIGH, but achievable expectations, that are clearly communicated.
We've heard this time and time again, but what does that look like in a classroom?

- Provide clear and easy-to-follow guidelines for book presentation - a ruled margin, lines under headings, a line between paragraphs etc. Even if they are typing their work, have them do this on their device, so that the expectations are the same across the class.


- Have the student write one line, and you (or an aid) write one line. Repeat. This reduces the anxiety of writing the whole text, and allows them to rest but still puts some responsibility on them to complete the task in a timely manner. This method also helps develop strength in the writing hand, and the expectation can be varied as time, and the students' skills, develop.
- Provide students with partial copies of presentation notes - don't make them copy down each and every slide, just the ones that you feel has crucial information that may be retained better if written down. They can stick in the slides, and write the others.
- Give them the notes with missing words/sentences/paragraphs. This means that they need to read and follow the text as its being worked through, but again reduces the amount of writing their expected to do. The same could be done via technology - provide them with the notes through Google Classroom etc. and have them fill in the blanks.

If handwriting is an issue with a child in your class, develop an IEP in conjunction with the family, as well as internal and external agencies, that provides an array of resources and adjustments that will encourage students to develop their skills whilst not raising their anxiety and impacting upon their learning. Don't totally remove the device - but ensure that you set when they can use it, and that it is being used appropriately and effectively.

2. Practice handwriting AND typing skills. 
While many of us in today's society are often jumping from one form of technology to the other to write (I'm currently writing this on my computer, and also typing a message to my parents who are travelling through Europe at the moment via my phone), I still like to write by hand. Whether that be in my personal or school diary, or by making shopping lists on note paper. We are also required to fill out forms, write letters and I still plan my netball coaching sessions in a notebook! While technology is hugely present in our society, we are still required to write by hand for certain reasons and occassions - thus, it is important to encourage students, especially those with ASD, to write by hand and learn how to type efficiently so as to be prepared for everyday, independent life.

If you're teaching 5-12 year old's (Primary students), you can incorporate a handwriting and typing activity in your literacy rotations - see some online typing activities below. If you're in high school, you could have one lesson a week during English where students go to a computer lab/library or use their own devices to practice their typing. You could also have them write a essay/argument/story by hand and then have them type it up in a single lesson - giving them a time-frame prepares them for situations such as NAPLAN, tertiary studies and work deadlines.

Typing Games:
BBC Dance Mat Typing - great for ages 5-12.

Typing Games.Zone - great for ages 5-12.

Nitro Typing - 10+

For students with ASD, or any other learning needs that require the use of a device to complete work, set aside time in the week so they can complete typing activities on their devices to ensure they improving their skills and knowledge. Also see if you can have the Learning Support Team set up time to help students complete their tasks.

3. Develop Fine Motor activities.
Incorporating fine motor activities into the learning BEFORE writing starts is a proven way of engaging the muscles and neurons needed for writing. For infants classes, you can make this a part of their morning routine and have a series of activities that children rotate through. For Primary and High School students, you could set up a series of stations in your class, assign students to a station that they go to and work at for the first 5 minutes of the lesson. Check out some of the activities in my Fine Motor Activities board.

I've recently added some fidget cubes to my Year 9 classroom - there are strict rules around these, but along with providing those students who need something in their hand to maintain focus, the various activities on each side of the cube improve their fine motor control. I've also developed something similar to this activity, where students need to recreate the Lego people pictured.




4. Don't stress about the style of their handwriting - focus on autonomy!
Many of my students don't have what I would consider the neatest writing - however they do write! And that's what is important at the moment. And the more they write, the better their writing becomes (generally) as they strengthen their hands, perfect their grip and develop a sense of letter size, shape and spacing.

We all agree that everyone should be able to pick up a pen or pencil and create a note, list or sign on the dotted line, and while the research links fluent handwriting to improved communication skills (both written and verbal), they key isn't the quality, form or style - it's the automaticity of the handwriting. That is, the less a student has to concentrate on getting the letters right, the more brain space they have to devote to ensuring that the message they want to convey is clear and concise.

Just as it is important to develop automaticity for writing, so to is it important to develop this when typing. From 2016, the NAPLAN will be completed online, which means that students will be required to type their compositions rather than hand-write them. Hence my previous point about developing both writing AND typing skills together.

So don't focus so much on standardising your children's handwriting - we all end up with our own style. Instead, focus on encouraging handwriting and typing together to ensure that students are equipped to become functioning members of our society, and

Do you have students who have issues with handwriting in your class? Have you got some strategies that you could share? We'd love to hear from you!


References:

Adoniou, M. (2015). How much does Handwriting matter?

Brownstein, J. (2009). For Intelligent Children With Autism, Handwriting Is Barrier 

Mackenzie, N. (2016). Keyboarding, Handwriting or both for 21st century learning?

The Conversation: Supporting students with autism in the classroom: what teachers need to know.




34 comments

  1. Nice post , bookmarking the blog for future re fences skip bin hire melbourne

    ReplyDelete
  2. In schools and colleges the hand writting is the basic thing from which we can understand any topic or subject. Without this you can't understand anything about this. You can use the process of co write so that the kids in the class can learn that how to write in a good pattern.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great blog here with all of the valuable information you have. From this blog i have got good and valuable information. In this post you want share writing tips. I think this article will so useful and informative for every student. And the homepage of your blog is also very interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The man or woman who pays the author maintains ownership of this job by putting his name on it. To put it differently, the payee receives the glory, whilst the ghost-writer becomes taken care of her products and services. visit the website to know more how to get quality writing services.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Well personally i don't think handwriting is mandatory to be beautiful. The only reason is that it makes a good impression of your personality.

    ReplyDelete
  6. ART Messenger is a WEB Browser messaging app FOR ALL DEVICES provided by Ask Real Teachers, which brings innovative communication technology to the fingertips of parents and students allowing them to connect with real teachers in Real-Time!

    if you want more just look here help

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks a lot for this information. I loves to read this blog. Keep it up
    By the way, visit the new post at my blog Best books for iit jee preparation to get free ebooks in reference of academic engineering field and highly competitive engineering exams.
    Regards,
    Sachin

    ReplyDelete
  8. This blog's topics really amaze me always. Nowadays there is a myth, while everything is related to typing, and it is so affordable also recyclable why someone should concentrate on his or her handwriting? And you answer on this topic meticulously. Here, I also want to tell you about a website LearnPick where you can find great tutors near your locality in Australia [ https://www.learnpick.com/australia ].

    ReplyDelete
  9. Awesome blog, Keep sharing with us.
    https://unichrone.com/

    ReplyDelete
  10. Today, seeing your post, it seems that I have stepped into a very beautiful world, the content of your post has been written in a very beautiful way, you have put your thinking in your words.
    high profile call girls in gurugram
    Phase 3 Escorts Servcie

    escort service gurugram
    Call girls in gurugram

    ReplyDelete
  11. What is Hard-Disk and type of Hard-Disk
    The History of Windows Operating Systems

    Thanks for sharing this wonderful article. Keep going. Please visit my blog you will see the basic info about computers and all of the things and learn more.

    ReplyDelete
  12. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  13. BookMyEssay offers online business statistics assignment help service. Our professionals are available 24/7. Grab the best deal on your business homework help from the experts.
    Visit Here: Business Statistics Assignment Help

    ReplyDelete
  14. BookMyEssay offers online academic writing service. Our professionals are available 24/7. Grab the best deal on academic writing from the experts.

    ReplyDelete
  15. BookMyEssay offers online academic writing service. Our professionals are available 24/7. Grab the best deal on academic writing from the experts.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Nice post. thanks for very interesting and essential for us to know more about such topics.Keep up the good writing. Here Tutoring Centre is Leading and Quality Educational Centre in Cranbourne. We Provide Best Tutoring Services better than other Best tutoring centres in Cranbourne and Melbourne also.Our Tutors are Providing quality education by Tutoring Cranbourne Expert Tutors in Cranbourne for year 1 to year 12.

    ReplyDelete

  17. We, as a leading HP Laptop Repair Service Provider Company, promise our clients to fix any kind of prevailing issue in their HP laptops. Our expert technicians, with their ultimate skills, have fixed thousands of HP laptops without any complications.

    Send Your Requirement Details on this id - info@iquickfixrepair.com

    Visit here - https://iquickfixrepair.com/hp-laptop-repair/

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thanks for sharing such an amazing post, I am an [url=http://thedissertationhelp.co.uk/ph-d-dissertation-writing-service/]online PhD dissertation writer[/url] now I am planning to start a similar blog like yours. Your blog give a great exposure and insight of blogging and content writing.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi there,
    Thank you so much for the post you do and also I like your post, Are you looking for Education Digest Services in the whole USA? We are providing educational resources, educational affirmaations, educational solution, educational programs, educational source, higher ed trends, hot topics in higher education 2021, emerging trends in higher education 2021, books about higher education, higher ed technology, higher education marketing trends 2020, higher education digital transformation, higher education consulting, higher education marketing trends, higher education consulting companies, higher education degree programs, marketing in higher education, higher ed conferences, degree in higher education, higher ed consulting, female leaders in higher education, us colleges and universities, higher ed marketing, higher education graduate programs, digital marketing for higher education, higher education, virtual learning during pandemic, i want to study abroad, nep for higher education with the well price and our services are very fast. Click here for MORE DETAILS......
    Contact Us
    Phone: 4157386899, 603 865-7345
    Email: educationdigest9@gmail.com
    Skype: WELLNESSAIRE

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hey good information, can you tell me where can i buy pdu online pls suggest me

    ReplyDelete
  21. Book Dubai tour Packages at Best Price with Travel Triangle. Get Best Offers of Dubai Tour Packages with Airfare, Hotel and Sightseeing and many other options for your enjoyment at the fullest.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Are you looking for tour packages for himachal » Find Discounts on the Best himachal Packages? Travel Triangle Helps You Spend Less. We are providing the best himachal tour packages from India. This himachal holidays package is the perfect combination of beaches and culture.

    ReplyDelete
  23. A fantastic blog post. We appreciate your contribution to the blog. After reading your message, you will discover a variety of options. We'd like to share our article with you Badlion CPS Test . Users can begin the game by simply tapping the clicking area with their mouse or touchpad. For additional information, see this blog.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Are you looking for the best preschool in India for your kids? If yes, click on the links given below. We are the leading Preschool Franchisee in India.

    Preschool in Surat
    Preschool in Nashik

    ReplyDelete
  25. thanks for sharing, i have been looking for this from very long time.
    Body Elegance

    ReplyDelete
  26. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Your blog resonates deeply with me! Your thoughtful insights on mindfulness have truly inspired me to incorporate more mindfulness on 4PL Warehouse in India. Thank you for sharing your wisdom!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Incredible insights on India's Free Trade Warehousing Zones (FTWZ) – your blog brilliantly navigates through the complexities, offering clarity to readers exploring this dynamic aspect of India's trade landscape. Well done!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Great breakdown of Inventory Management Software! Clear and concise, your blog is a valuable resource for businesses of all sizes.

    ReplyDelete

Back to Top