Asperger's and Good Handwriting

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This would be my 2¢ re: handwriting - - I hate it! My earliest memory of a really bad experience in school was having to learn how to write. I never got it & was always ashamed. And my whole arm felt like it would fall off. After completing h.s., went to U. of Wash. Trying to take lecture notes - I had to invent my own special variety of shorthand. To this day, I avoid handwriting & when possible tear all examples into tiny pieces & stick in a toilet. And because I had worked in group homes with ASD people, when NT-types suggested that I might be autistic - I said b.s. ‘cause I didn’t throw chairs around. But then someone turned me on to link between ASD & dysgraphia - & well now the rest would be history. Oh - also they say “You have micrographia” - but if one writes way small, then people can’t see how ugly & also the pen/pencil seems easier to control.

I have great handwriting. Am I the only one here who doesn't have that problem?

My handwriting has steadily improved through the years,, but I still feel that it is somewhat sloppy. It's readable and I don't mind writing if I absolutely have to, but I usually type when it's possible.

As far as I know, bad hand writing isn't required to 'truly' have AS. When I was a kid I was extremely obsessive about my hand writing, wanting it to be perfect before I handed anything in to the teacher. This wasn't overcompensating for my natural hand writing disadvantage, because I didn't have one! I've always written neatly.
It is possible that you just worked really hard to improve your writing, but it's also possible that there wasn't an issue with it in the first place.

I think when I was very young K-2 my handwriting was kinda bad. Also my coloring was really bad. I compared my coloring to other kids and it was noticeably sub-par. Around 3rd grade, my penmanship improved. I held the pencil in a awkward way though. It caused my hand to get fatigued. I could never retrain myself to hold a pencil or pen properly.

I hate regular pencils and pens. I love mechanical pencils.

I wrote with ink-pen knives a few times & my handwriting seemed slightly better. It could be coincidence thou cuz it was only a few times & I was not writing much. Only theory I can think of is that the balance is weird; the top weighs heavier than the bottom & I have a weird grip(I'm right-handed but I hold it more like a lefty) but as I said it could probably be coincidence. When I wright I hold the bottom part of the pen/pencils between my pointer & middle finger(I use the sides of the fingers instead of my finger tips) & the middle part of the pen is between my thumb & pointer(not sure if I explained this right maybe someone can post a pic). Also when I 1st got a Nintendo 64 when I was in high-school; I had some problems getting used the the joystick in the middle at 1st. I held the middle part in my right hand & had my left hand on the controller pad. It took a little getting used to at 1st but I only hold it the correct way now where my left hand is on the middle part on the joystick & my right is using the C buttons. I had lots of problems tying my shoelaces & buttoning shirts when I was little. I've been doing it all myself sense before I started high-school but it takes me a while & when I'm trying to rush or feel nervous about people watching; I have problems. I prefer shoes with velcro instead of laces & I do not wear shirts with buttons unless I have to for an occasion where I need to look nice like a job interview or wedding/funeral.

My dad was born left-handed but when he was in school; they made him wright with his right so he's ambidextrous now. He can wright fairly neat when he wants to & takes time with either hand but when he signs checks & paperwork; it's not legible. The bankers joke that his handwriting is like a doctors but he doesn't have that kind of pay

People tell me I have good neat handwriting.

I was curious how everyone holds their pen when they write. I hold mine like this:



I've had several people tell me I'm holding the pen wrong, but the standard way feels totally awkward to me.