Strategies for Children with Special Needs Many adults print. So, in many circumstances, it may be best to focus on improving print rather than moving onto cursive. If a child is interested in doing cursive, below are some suggestions. For all children, consider only teaching lowercase cursive and having them use print for capitals.
Fine Motor Activities To help children with fine motor delays, use the first 10–15 minutes of a session doing fine motor work. If children are delayed in their fine motor skills, they will likely need extra help with handwriting. Spend the last 10 minutes of a session forming letters.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Often, concentration and compliance are challenging for children with autism, so they may struggle with handwriting, fine motor skills, or perceptual delays. Children on the autism spectrum who are high functioning, such those with Asperger’s Syndrome, tend to relate well to tangible, hands-on materials. Children who do not respond well to verbal cues (language) usually do well with the Handwriting Without Tears program. You can demonstrate many of the teaching techniques with few or no verbal cues as the child attends visually to the task. Teacher demonstration and child imitation are the keys to successful handwriting. Keep these tips in mind when teaching children with ASD: • Use as many multisensory experiences as possible • Be very consistent with the child • B e careful when using abstract teaching strategies; children with ASD tend to take things literally.
Down Syndrome Use several multisensory activities and repetitions. If the child has a classroom assistant (IEP aide), allow extra time for the child to practice handwriting. Because the child may be easily distracted, you may want to schedule extra time for breaks. Here are some tips for working with children who have low muscle tone (hypotonia) due to Down Syndrome: • I f the child struggles with writing because of low muscle tone, have them write in all capital letters • Assess the child’s comfortable size of writing • Use a modified pencil grasp • Adapt seating in the classroom and at home • Work on extra fine motor activities to strengthen the hands.
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Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Resources
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