Helping ASD son with writing

[nikos]

Just had parents evening for ds with ASD who is 5 and in a mainstream reception class with full time TA. On many things he is working at the level of a year 2 child (reading, some maths) but his writing is below average. We looked at some of his work and it is very far behind with only limited letter formation.
Is there anything we can do to help or is this just part and parcel of ASD i.e poor fine motor skills. He is very resistant to working with me on it at home (although they have eventually got him to cooperate at school). Any tips gratefully received.

Do you see an occupational therapist? Often children with ASD have motor and coordination problems which can affect handwriting. It means going back to basics and doing things other than writing e.g. playing with K'nex to build hand strength or making letters in the sand or playing with letter magnets.

I have a list of tips from my OT which I will happily mail over to you if you CAT me.

Yes I think going back to basics could be key. Because he has never shown any interest in colouring and drawing we just missed all that out. If I think how much time my dd spent colouring in then it is easy to see how much ground he has to make up. Think I will focus on that in the Easter holidays and keep it fun.
It won't let me contact you debs as would love the list of tips.

Did your sons handwriting improve with time?

Agree with debs40 lots of fine motor control activities - lego is good my ASD ds loves playmobil which is great as the pieces are so small, you could also try threading beads, bobbins etc provide exciting opportunities to paint or mark make - water painting on the wall/patio etc is good fun, no mess either! Chalk, chunky crayons, felt tips all give good sensory feedback, get some lining paper and let him make patterns or whatever he feels like agin easy to clear up! Most of all don't pressure - I'm sure you know
My ds eventually got the hang of it in year 3 and now writes fluently if not very legibly now in year6

I agree with debs and phoenix, both my dd's are on the spectrum, dd1 is 6 and like your ds is ahead with maths and reading, her hand writing is not too bad (the school thinks its fine) but is a little bit scruffy and some letters are backwards. Dd2 (4.1) has just started writing and almost all of her letters are backwards but well formed.

Dd1 is being assessed for low muscle tone and dyspraxia. We bought dd1 lego which she loves playing with (now dd2 plays with it to), she also uses pencil grips (from ELC).

Dd1 also likes doing those work books you can buy from 'the works' (mainly following dots to form letters etc), they also have stickers in them as rewards (dd1 will do anything for a sticker).

My ds did lots of the things that Debs and Phoenix suggest and it made a big difference to his ability to write.

Things that have helped over the years are:

• triangular pencils or ordinary pencils with triangular grips. Ds had very little strength in his hands so these helped him to control his mark-making.

• a sloped surface to write on. You can buy ready-made writing slopes or even make your own. It made it easier to keep the paper in place and also supported ds' hands/wrists when he was writing.

• a wedge cushion to sit on. It was only when ds started using one of these that I realised just how much of an effort he had been putting in to just trying to stay in his seat. He is quite floppy and so had a tendency to slide down the chair. With the cushion he can concentrate more easily on written work.

• Joined-up writing. Strangely enough this turned out to be really useful for ds. He used to have real problems with letter formation and would either write the letters backwards or would start them in completely the wrong place. Joined-up writing meant that there was only one way his letters could go.

There is also the option of learning to type work instead of writing it by hand. This is useful when children reach the stage where they are expected to write more than just a few sentences.

x-posted with Marne.

nikos, does your DS have hypermobility? I ask, cos it often goes hand in hadn with ASD, and it can make fine motor skills like holding a pencil etc quite difficult. Defo second the triangular wedges for the pencils. Doing activities with play doh (rolling it, squashing and squuezing) can also improve hand strength. Also squeezing those stress ball things - we got a great one from Hawkins Bazaar which lights up.

He may also benefit from a sloped surface to write on - your OT will ne able to give you more advice on this.

Im an OT. All the advice sounds good but you could also include some fun activities to improve pencil control such as tracing, dots to dots, mazes, and the puzzles with tangled lines (such as 4 balloons with tangled strings, which one is which child holding etc). The emphasis needs to be on accuracy, so with dot to dots go from one dot to another with a straight line, mazes- try to complete the maze wihtout touching the sides, and tangles lines-trace over them with felt tip. OT assessment sounds a really good idea.

i was given a laptop by my school....because my writing was illegible still is dispite putting effort into it

i can write neatly but it has the same effect as a 4 hour stint of heavy gardening...

one tihng you might consider is graph paper to help with spacing and size one letter per box

Hi

I will try and CAT you with them. There is a site - activity village I think - which has tri-lined paper. Great for teaching letter positioning. They don't use it in school though. In fact they never use lines in school odd.

nikos - just our experience as an example for you - we have DS1, 5.8 years, ASD DX and currently in Y1. DS1 had huge issues with fine motor skills in reception, this time last year he was still grasping the pencil as a toddler would, and his teachers weren't even sure whether he was left handed or right handed because he'd constantly swap hands. He could write his name, very awkwardly, but that was about it (and he has a short name ) He couldn't use scissors at all.

Following DX he had 5 external OT sessions followed by weekly OT sessions within school (20 mins each, three times per week) which he has continued to attend through Y1. We also did a load of stuff at home, various finger-strengthening games, colouring and writing practice etc as others have outlined, tried to make it as much fun as possible. We used many of the suggestions highlighted above.

Just one year on he can form every letter correctly and neatly, is writing whole words very confidently, colours in very well (and enjoys colouring, which literally amazes me!) and can use scissors really well too. OK he is by no means the best handwriter in his class but he has come on so, so much.

So some additional input can really really make a difference. My best tip in terms of overcoming resistance to working with you is bribery . Haribos, stickers and treats to work towards (i.e. we did one sticker per session, even if the first few sessions last about half a minute, 7 stickers bought him a small treat). We did one session daily and soon enough it was just part of the daily routine and he started to quite enjoy it, particularly as his skills improved so dramatically.

Hello everyone just got to the computer after a busy easter. Thanks so much for the tips and especially the encouraging one from amber, great to know things are possible as it keeps us all trying doesn't it.
Ds has 2 other siblings close in age (older) and I've roped them in. They've been playing schools with him and building a writing exercise into the game. I've also been just encouraging him to pick up a crayon or pen at odd times of the day and colour or write something.
Taking a tip from otali, I've been trying to get him to do small amounts but with accuracy. I found some old laminated cards in the garage where you form the letters by following the dots.
Plus points are - the letters are recognisable when he does them individually and he has the correct pencil grip (good old school). Also so far he has been fairly cooperative with me (think bits of choc easter eggs might have to come into play soon though ). Need to chase up OT referral, we've been waiting ages.

Also can I just say how proud I am of my little fella for always keeping on even when he finds things difficult. Hope he always has that 'have a go' attitude as he goes through life.

Have a look at this site. My son went and she is absolutely amazing. His writing was illegible and spelling non-existant. Now he is legible. His spelling only a tad better but you can read what he writes which is amazing. ONE session with her is all that is needed. The downside is that it's a two year waiting list so put your ds/dd name down NOW. You can always say no to an appointment. She sees people from all over the world and is the ONLY one of her type in the world. I got recommended by our educational psychologist. Just take a look at the case studies on her website. My son's writing is now beautiful. She specialises in dyslexia and ADHD / Aspbergers etc etc.
www.learn-writecentre.co.uk........ good luck.