Help ! Dysgraphia and learning to type in school ! !!

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Hi all hope you have some stories that might help me my previous post was new here Dysgraphia writing issues ! we have decided that he needs to learn to type OT has been trying to help him with his writing sense 2nd grade and it has not worked he is in 6th now we have been beating our heads against a wall for along time . The Ot was planning to drop him when we had our IEP meeting last monday but after 15min of arguing with me she gave in and said she would try to teach him to type ! However she is clueless there is one wonderful person on here I think DW_a mom who shared her story with me of them doing this but does not remember the specs I am hoping there are others amoung you that have also done this or had it done for you and have info to share so I can help this OT Lady make a plan for my DS. Thank you so much


Kimberly Shaler

I asked my son about this, hoping we could get you something better, and he doesn't believe the OT used any particular scripted program. He recalls her just saying words, and him typing them. Lots of funny sentences to use all the letters in the alphabet, stuff like that.

I know she was concerned about hand positioning and ergonomics, as well, because that was something she conveyed to us, but he doesn't recall much about that.

I will say that we, too, had been trying to get him to type using various programs for years before that, but what we've been told is that kids don't get very far before they are developmentally ready for typing, which isn't usually until at least 5th grade. In some ways the early introduction is counter-productive, because it sets this idea that it is tedious and difficult, when the truth it just wasn't the right skill at the right moment. I personally think the simple fact that the OT said with confidence to my son and to us, "he wasn't ready before, he is ready now" made a huge difference. Things go like that for my son: one day he isn't ready, the next he is, and what was once a mountain becomes a mole hill. Timing is everything.

Thank you so much ! I so appreciate your help I think he is ready so we are going to give it our best shot