Handwriting Headache – Keyboarding Techniques Might be the Answer

By Jennifer Nelson, MOT, OTR/L

Keyboarding Techniques The Basic OT Dictionary Motor Skills
Traditional fine motor interventions sometimes fall short of correcting handwriting issues. Keyboarding skills, as taught through an assistive technology program, can help build written communication skills in young students.

The importance of handwriting
Of the skills a child acquires during the first years of school, handwriting is one of the most essential. Written communication is a necessary life skill for completing school assignments, writing a letter to a family member, filling out an application or simply writing down someone’s phone number. Failure to achieve handwriting success during the school-age years may have a negative impact on a child’s academic success, as well as his overall self-esteem.

School children demonstrate their knowledge in all academic areas through handwriting. Therefore, when handwriting is poor, a child may be misunderstood or even given a bad mark on school work. Jane Case-Smith, OT, in “Effectiveness of School-based Occupational Therapy Intervention on Handwriting,” The American Journal of Occupational Therapy 2002, emphasizes that students who have trouble with handwriting are so fo- cused on correctly forming letters that they may lose attention to the subject matter or to the instructor. The need for neat and legible handwriting only becomes more important as children progress through school. Therefore, early identification and intervention are crucial in order to decrease a child’s difficulties with handwriting.

How assistive technology can help
Due to each child’s unique circumstances, not all children have the same handwriting difficulties; therefore, an individualized plan of care should be considered. However, if problems with handwriting persist and the child’s academic performance is hindered, alternatives to handwriting should be explored. This is where assistive technology becomes important in a child’s academic setting. As defined by the Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals With Disabilities Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-407), assistive technology is “any item, piece of equipment or product system…that is used to increase, maintain or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.”

Assistive technology ranges from low-to high-tech. Low-tech is defined as tools that are inexpensive, involve a minimal amount of training and typically do not require batteries or electricity. Mid-tech options, typically portable word processors, are explored if low-tech options do not improve the child’s handwriting. High-tech options, like word prediction software, are necessary when a child’s needs are not met by other assistive technology options.

Low-, Mid- and High-Tech Tools

Low-Tech	Mid-Tech	High-Tech
Pencil Grips	Word Processor	NotebookComputer
Slant Boards	Electronic Spellcheckers	Desktop Computer
Special Paper (raised lines orbolded lines)	Digital Recorders	Alternative keyboards

Keyboarding 101
It is imperative that a child learn how to competently use a keyboard in order to utilize assistive technology tools efficiently. Keyboarding can be introduced in occupational therapy, as well as at home or at school, in order to ensure a child will be proficient at word processing. There are essential fine motor skills necessary for keyboarding including the ability to use isolated finger movements and complex hand movements with the arms in a stable position, preferably with the elbows at the student’s sides. For keyboarding success, a child must be able to coordinate finger and arm movements to strike the keys and make the right key choices on the keyboard. Often these fine motor skills will improve after keyboarding instruction and keyboard use. Initially, the fo- cus should be on accuracy, and then speed, when teaching children how to keyboard. In order for touch typing to be functional, the child’s typing speed should be at least equivalent to his handwriting speed. Occupational therapists Janet Rogers and Jane Case-Smith, authors of “Rela- tionships Between Handwriting and Keyboarding Perfor- mance of Sixth-grade Students,” in The American Journal of Occupational Therapy believe a child often begins to learn how to type using the “hunt and peck” style of typing until he is familiar with the layout of the keyboard.

Good, solid typing instruction is important. When choosing a typing program, parents should look for a match between the child’s cognitive and developmental age and the software program’s features. Some features to look for are:

Large, onscreen keyboards that show both the keys and the correct position of one’s fingers
Programs where preferences, such as font size and color, can be changed to fit the needs of the child
Programs that track changes and progress
Programs that provide a multi-sensory approach combining both visual and auditory input

An excellent typing program will keep the child moti- vated to use the computer while teaching keyboarding skills. An assistive technology trained occupational therapist is a valuable resource for parents who are trying to find an effective instructional keyboarding program.

Web sites with free typing instruction:

www.sense-lang.org/typing
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing
www.typingsoft.com for an extended list of typing tutors on the web

Software programs providing typing instruction:

Name of Software / Supplier
Type to Learn 4 / Sunburst Company www.sunburst.com
Jump Start Typing / Available at Target or www.amazon.com
UltraKey 5 / www.bytesofl earning.com

Many respected occupational therapists believe that while the introduction of keyboarding has been recom- mended as early as first or second grade, it should not take over as the primary means of written communication until fourth grade. Once keyboarding skills are achieved, word processing can be used as a means of written communication.

The road block that children with handwriting difficulties face is not insurmountable. There is a way for these students to take part in written communication and find success in school. Parents can turn to assistive technology to help their children improve their written communication skills. Keyboarding and word processing ensure that a child’s written communication is legible for others to read. Typing allows for children to easily correct typing and spelling errors. Being able to use the keyboard also has been suggested to improve a child’s interest in schoolwork and the child’s attitude toward learning how to write. It’s exciting to have assistive technology options that will allow the child to feel a sense of achievement and pride in his written work.

A Case Study

During Evan’s kindergarten year, his teacher noticed he was having trouble forming letters in activities involving handwriting. As part of his fine motor therapy program, Evan began using a computer to learn the letters of the alphabet. By using a keyboard and mouse to learn his letters, he also worked on visual memory, visual motor integration and manual dexterity skills. He especially liked the activities on a reading readiness Web site called Star Fall (www.starfall.com). Evan’s skills increased and he was discharged from therapy. In the second grade, Evan’s teacher noticed his handwritten sentences were not legible so another therapy plan was initiated. It was decided that Evan could benefit from use of a portable AlphaSmart™ Neo word processor in the upcoming school years. Once again, the computer became an integral part of helping Evan with written communication. With the help of occupational therapy and a motivating typing program, he learned how to use the keyboard and mouse efficiently. Upon entering the third grade, Evan was ready to use word processing as his means of written communication. His teacher reports that he is keeping up with his peers in class as well as showing more attention to and interest in his schoolwork.

Jennifer Nelson, MOT, OTR/L has worked with Atlanta families for five years and currently is a team member in the assis- tive technology department at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She can be reached at jen.nelson08@gmail.com or 404-785-3779.

Sources: The American Journal of Occupational Therapy AbilityNet website: www.abilitynet.org.uk. Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics GPAT: Georgia Project for Assistive Technology. www.gpat.org.

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