Using+Tablets+for+Students+with+Handwriting+Disabilities


 * Using Tablets for Students with Handwriting Disabilities **

For many students, writing is complex and rigorous. For students who suffer from handwriting disabilities, traditional writing (pen and paper) is a seemingly impossible task. Moreover, older students with handwriting disabilities, like dysgraphia for example, are extremely aware of their handwriting and how others perceive it. Writing, for them, is complicated because as they concentrate on physically writing, they begin to over-stress and their grammar, spelling, and content suffers. With the rise of assistive technologies in schools, students with handwriting disabilities can begin to feel their daily stress alleviate. Students on the autism spectrum for instance, may be nonverbal and lack the fine motor skills to properly write.The assistive technology of the iPad has the ability to engage and access curricula in the classroom, “Using touch technology in devices such as the iPad seems almost natural to students with autism.” (Wainwright). Students with any sort of handwriting disability may find that the iPad (or similar tablet) helps them practice their writing with more fluidity on the touch screen than with traditional pen and paper: “With the iPad, students can watch as one of their fingers directly writes on the screen to make selections, which in turn helps improve fine motor skills.” (Wainwright). According to Rowe, for students lacking motor skills, touch screens are intuitive devices. Students are able to touch the screen and use their fingers to communicate without anything else interfering. This touch directly on the screen helps improve fine motor skills (Rowe). Even more, students can use a stylus to imitate the use of a pen or pencil. Tablet technologies thoroughly assist students with handwriting disabilities.

Children who lack motor skills tend to work better with devices that are touch screens. The iPad can help improve fine motor skills because the students use their fingers to directly write on the screen. With iPads teachers can create personalized lesson plans assessing the needs for each child. There are tons of apps available on the iPad that is geared towards students with special needs. The iPads are also a better source of keeping things neat and organized. Students sometimes have a hard time reading their own handwriting so if they take their notes and write their memos down on the iPad at least it is neat and organized for them to find when they need it. Educators also think these hard-to-motivate students are excited about using something that is a hip piece of technology, so that interests them more than traditional learning methods (Williams).

Tablet devices are becoming popular in everyday life and in the educational world. More schools are implementing tablet devices into their classrooms. Tablets are learning tools that engage students, and it is tool that they can often use with ease right out of the get go. With that, teachers can create personalized lesson plans and help students implement apps (see below) to maximize their tablet use, “With iPads, teachers can create personalized lesson plans assessing the needs of each individual. There are a vast amount of apps available for the iPad specifically tailored to special needs children,” (Wainwright). The accessibility of this technology will benefit and equalize access to education for children with handwriting disabilities.

There are some great applications to help with handwriting disabilities.

[|iTrace] – is a kid friendly application that is customizable. Teachers can add names, spelling words, and vocabulary for students to practice. Teachers are also able to track students’ progress. [|Handwriting Without Tears] – This application follows the Handwriting Without Tears program which is very popular with Occupational Therapists. It allows students to practice the letter formations using the wet, dry, try method. Students have to be very accurate with their practice. Users are allowed to be entered into the application. [|Turbo Phonics: Beginning Tracing] – This application is the winner of many parenting awards. It starts with tracing the patterns we use to write letters. There are other applications from Agnitus that focus on writing upper and lowercase letters.

Evernote- Organize and tag notes. It even offers voice-recorded notes. (Award Winning)

WritePad- Create documents in your own unique shorthand, which the app will recognize

[] Derrick Rowe iPads and Handwriting Disabilities (Not sure if it's the same article as above because it's a different author)

**Ashley Wainwright**
[]

[] ( Williams)

http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2014/06/13/321058641/ipads-in-special-ed-what-does-the-research-say

More iPad Apps!