Aspergers and poor handwriting

[Tiggiwinkle]

My DS5 (aged 8) has appalling writing. He has had help with it on and off since reception, but although it improves briefly, it soon reverts to its usual illegible state as soon as the extra help finishes! His current teacher says his pencil grip is the most awkward she has ever seen-and she is a very experienced teacher!
I was reading some research recently which suggests that poor handwriting and AS are closely linked, even if there is no dyspraxia present. (My DS3 has AS and dyspraxia, and also has terrible writing, but I would have put it down to the dyspraxia and not the AS iyswim).DS5 is not dyspraxic.
My dilemma is, I feel the problems with his handwriting are actually impeding DS5's learning. He is a perfectionist and if he cannot do something properly would rather not do it at all. He is well aware of how bad his writing is and I feel it puts him off doing his work at school. His teacher often comments that he has not finished a piece of work. (He is very academically able but his writing is very laborious) I have spoken to his teacher about whether they could provide him with a laptop as his keyboard skills are excellent, and although she does not seem averse to the idea, it has not been sorted out yet.
How do others of you with children with AS and similar problems deal with it?

[Tiggiwinkle]

Anyone?

[bobalinga]

DS (13) stilll has poor handwriting. He is afab typer though. I figure typing skills will be more useful in the future job market than handwriting so I don't fret about it.
He was home educated till a few months ago so its never been an issue. The school he's at now moan a tad but I went in and told them he's there cos he wants to be, he's apaying customer, if he can't read his writing thats his problem, not theirs re getting exams and could they please not knock his confidence as he has AS.
They haven't made a peep since

[bobalinga]

One thing, if your son takes exams in the future, ask for extra time cos of handwriting issues.

[Dinosaur]

I don't feel we have dealt with it - DS1 (8 in July) has made some improvements with his writing this year but it is still not great. I look back at my own exercise books full of incredibly neat copperplate writing and it just makes me depressed...

[Blandmum]

We are using a scheme call Write from the Start with ds who has a dx of Dyspraxia.

It consists of 400 (!) graded exercises. After a few weeks even ds could see th difference it makes

[bobalinga]

I figure if a child is bright and can read then handwriting isn't an issue. DD2 is never going to have any writing issues cos she has severe CP and can't even hold a pen. Puts my son's illegible writing into perspective. He's bright, can reading anfd can walk and talk. He will be able to type. DD2 wont.

[Dingle]

Sorry to butt in, but at what sort of skill level does Write from the Start actually start at please?

[Blandmum]

Very basic. They make the point that kids have to be able to make simple shapes, circles, straight lines etc before they can write. So they go right back to basics.

In addition this was helpful with ds who was 6 when we started the programme, since he found it not too hard. Book 2 is a higher level

[Pinkchampagne]

I didn't realise poor handwriting was linked with AS. My DS is being assessed in a couple of weeks & he has the most appalling handwriting. He also reverses loads of his letters & numbers still & he is 7.5.

[Tiggiwinkle]

MB-Would it help bearing in mind his poor pencil grip though? He has been taught all the exercises etc over the years, but in the end he just reverts to the same awkward grip! He has AS but does not seem to have dyspraxia by the way.
As I say, I am trying to decide whether to make an issue of it and proceed with writing practise or just forget it, because as bobalinga says, in the end they can get by without it these days. My fear is that by continuing to make him write rather than use a keyboard, it kills his enthiusiasm for the actual subject matter he is studying.
When my older DS (who was dx with dyspraxia when he was 8 but has only just been diagnosed AS) was about 11 the ed psych basically told us to forget the handwriting as it would never improve-and it never has! (Mind you he is now in 6th form college and we are still trying to get permission for him to use a keyboard for his A levels).

[Davros]

My sister (now 50!) has AS and her handwriting has always been terrible - not at all in keeping with her intelligence.
I have also heard of Sensible Pencil and Handwriting Without Tears.

[coppertop]

Ds1 (6) has problems with handwriting. In Yr1 his teacher said that using a computer would be an option they would consider as he got further up the school. He's now in Yr2 and they are tackling the problem in a number of ways:

• using the class computer to type stories

• exercises to help strengthen his hands and so improve his grip

• time with the TA practising letter formation

It's really helped to improve ds1's confidence and self esteem. Using the computer takes off a lot of the pressure and gives him the opportunity to show what he can do. The writing practice has helped him to make enough progress to prove to hiself that he can do the same things as everyone else IYSWIM.

If the school need to be convinced about the laptop idea then perhaps suggest a mixed approach to start with. Hopefully once they see the results they will be more open to the idea of using the laptop for all writing tasks.

[Tiggiwinkle]

That sounds like a good compromise CT. At the moment, everything seems to become an issue about his writing and not about the actual content-and tbh it is usually very hard to read his work at all anyway.
I just feel he is not producing the work he is capable of because of the stumbling block of his poor writing and presentation. I will speak to them again I think; they do have several class computers-it is a well resourced school IT wise-so if there is no laptop for him, perhaps he could at least use one of the class computers for most of his work. He writes at great speed with a keyboard so I think it is definitely the way to go.
He is already working in a small group with a TA doing handwriting exercises-to little effect at the moment.