sharon huntington Posted September 3 Posted September 3 I have a 13 year old grandson with dysgraphia. What accommodations would be most helpful for him? Writing is physically painful for him, and he has great difficulty getting his thoughts on paper.
Moderators Carolyn Rowlett Posted September 4 Moderators Posted September 4 1. Teacher provided notes and ability to record lectures so that he does not have to copy from the board or take notes. 2. If he does have to take notes, allow extra time. 3. Allow extra time for any handwritten assignment or test. 4. Allow the use of speech-to-text to help with getting his thoughts down on paper. It is usually easier for students with dysgraphia to verbalize their thoughts rather than physically writing or typing. 5. Do not count off on assignments or tests for poor handwriting or spelling. 6. Modify tests to reduce amount of handwriting or typing. Allow speech-to-text, provide oral exams, or use multiple choice to test mastery of subject. 7. Allow oral reports over written reports.
JSD24 Posted September 5 Posted September 5 I'll add to what Carolyn posted. If audio recording isn't allowed (it's hard to get this accommodation in a 2-party state), allow the student to take photos of the board so they do not need to copy what the teacher has written. Teacher provided notes might be cloze notes. Writing by hand has been shown to help students remember things better than typing the same notes. Allow for homework (any/every assignment) to be typed rather than handwritten. Software & a device that works with the math being taught so math assignments are more easily able to be completed. Access to this for tests would be needed too. Use of a scribe - this might be a personal preference. I'm aware of a student with shoulder issues that resulted in arm & hand weakness. This person preferred extra time to the use of a scribe which is what was offered for taking the Bar Exam. This person had brachial plexus injury from shoulder dystocia at birth. I feel extra time is going to be key with this disability. As your grandson moves through high school, someone will need to makes sure that the school applies in advance so the accommodations provide by the school extends to SAT, PSAT, ACT, AP, state mandated testing, etc. Colleges will often look for a recent evaluation in order to provide accommodations. The high school he goes to can provide this so the family doesn't need to pay for this. (It tends to be very expensive if you need to pay out of pocket for this.)
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