Using a laptop in Year 8 - any tips

[havenlady]

My 12 year old son is dyspraxic and the SENCO has agreed that he should be able to trial using a laptop to see if he can increase his output (often quite limited). Any practical advice - I see visions of the thing being left behind, not charged, or him fiddling with it and doing even less work!

Get him on a touch typing course - it will really speed up his work. The trial may not be long enough for him to build up speed. The Dyslexic Institute recommend good touch typing programmes he can work through at home and local dyslexic societies have details of short intensive courses.

Dd is about to receive in Yr 7. I assume it will be kept in school and she will be carting a memory stick around. I think it will be a good thing.

Thanks for that - he has half learnt to touch type (probably worse than not learning at al) - a short course may be a good idea.
Making sure he is near a power socket also - battery will nto last that long!

Ds is 12 (Y7) and dyslexic and is doing TTRS (Touch Type Read and Spell) which lots of school SN depts use and courses are run locally. We bought it for ds as once a week for an hour wasn't ideal.
Practicalities are much harder! I think the general feeling is that laptops can be more of a hindrance (fiddling, battery etc) until pupils know exactly what to do on them. Perhaps speak to SENCO decide on how it will be phased in gradually, what it will be used for in class. Then remembering to charge would be gradual as well. The SENCO needs to liaise with subject teachers and speak to you and ds so you are both clear about its purpose. If it's just for typing, then a memory stick sounds better, particularly if school is well resourced.
I'm speaking as a parent and a dyslexia trained teacher here!

I was offered one in yr 10/11. I ended up not using it because I was in a class with VERY immature people who bullied me for it, so do watch out for this, and hopefully the school will watch too.

Lots of our (secondary school) SN pupils use Alphasmarts or laptops. If they borrow an Alphasmart, they have to come to the SN base to download and print. It helps the teachers to actually get the work that has been done stuck in their books.
If the laptop is yours, you are stuck with the repairs and making sure the compatible software is on it. We have problems getting the technicians to put school printer software on to home-owned laptops.
Memory sticks with big coloured straps on them are a good idea.
Can I suggest trying the BBC dance-mat typing course? It's childish; but quite fun if done away from teen peer group!