Thursday, May 5, 2011

Need Handwriting Help

VISITORI am writing to ask your assistance in locating some help for my 19 year old son who has ADHD and great difficulty with handwriting.  He is now ready to consider getting some additional assistance with this issue as it is impacting his college work.

If you could please share with me any programs, therapists or tutors that are in the Brighton or Ann Arbor area, we would greatly appreciate it.



DYSCALCULIA.ORG:
The Michigan Dyslexia Institute in Howell offers Orton-GIllingham therapy that also remediates handwriting difficulties. The University of Michigan also offers these services. (Laws concerning dysgraphia.)

Look for an Orton-Gillingham practitioner in your area. If your insurance covers Occupational Therapy, an OT can diagnose and treat / remediate handwriting disability. He will need a dysgraphia diagnosis (AKA specific learning disability in writing) to get a scribe or computer for written/essay exams and lecture notes, and written assignments.

He may never be able to take notes efficiently, so he should be using ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY to replace handwriting. He should learn to type accurately and quickly (if possible). He can have a digital pen that records the audio & video of lectures/events. The professors should also provide him copies of their lectures (transcripts) in digital form. He can use voice to speech conversion software. He will need special tools to do math.  (A list of AT tools & tutorials about them.)

Check out these helpful tools:(most are free or very inexpensive):


Any $350. new laptop will contain all of the power he needs for college and the AT programs he needs to use(I recently bought a Toshiba Satellite C655 at Staples for $350 with 4 GB RAM & 300 GB hard drive, +dual processors, Windows7, DVD burner, 16" monitor, full-size keyboard with numeric pad, etc. I love it and I am a professional/power user.) 

Do keep in touch. If you'd like an LD evaluation through dyscalculia.org and would like an assistive tech evaluation, the two would be $650. If you need case management or advocacy services, fees are $60/hr.

Here are links to dysgraphia information on the dyscalculia.org website:

 Dysgraphia Dec 4, 2010 12:31 PM  by Renee Hamilton-Newman

To view a white paper on dysgraphia (penmanship disability) by Renee M. Newman, click on the file attached to the bottom of this web page (Edu563.pdf). Sets of books ...
Learning Disabilities‎ > ‎Dysgraphia

 Differential Diagnosis and Treatment Dysgraphia Dyslexia OWL LD NASP upload.ppt Jan 11, 2011 7:41 PM  by Renee Hamilton-Newman

3768k — on page Documentation
Diagnosis: Law‎ > ‎Documentation‎ > ‎Differential Diagnosis and Treatment Dysgraphia Dyslexia OWL LD NASP upload.ppt

 Evaluating Math Special Ed Programs Dec 6, 2010 12:07 AM  by Renee Hamilton-Newman

... or 576 and "five seven six."    33    Class A-1-a-III-a    Numerical Dysgraphia   12.Inability to write numbers because of inefficient motor skills or insufficient coordination of visual ...
Dyscalculia‎ > ‎Remediation‎ > ‎Evaluating Math Special Ed Programs

 Generic_Parent_Report.odt Nov 16, 2010 12:39 PM  by Renee Hamilton-Newman

319k — on page Parent Report
Diagnosis: Law‎ > ‎Guidance: 1-21‎ > ‎Parent Report‎ > ‎Generic_Parent_Report.odt

 Parent Report Dec 31, 2010 3:51 PM  by Renee Hamilton-Newman

... Cerebellar-Vestibular Dysfunction(1)(b) ADHD (1)(2)(c) Sensory-Motor Integration Disorder AKADysgraphia: handwriting and drawing immature (1).(d) Ocular symptoms: blurring, double vision, headaches, fatigue, photophobia,perseveration ...
Diagnosis: Law‎ > ‎Guidance: 1-21‎ > ‎Parent Report

 Learning Disabilities Feb 9, 2011 11:02 PM  by Renee Hamilton-Newman

... Dyscalculia, Numerical Impairment, Gerstman's Syndrome, math anxiety. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD)  Dysgraphia (penmanship / handwriting disability)Dyslexia: AKA word blindness, developmental delay, reading disorder, specific learning disability in ...

 Edu563.pdf Dec 2, 2010 8:47 PM  by Renee Hamilton-Newman

153k — on page Dysgraphia
Learning Disabilities‎ > ‎Dysgraphia‎ > ‎Edu563.pdf

 Experts Feb 11, 2011 10:30 AM  by Renee Hamilton-Newman

... Math TeacherMLD Diagnosis LawDyscalculia SymptomsSample MLD ReportSample MLD Parent ReportDysgraphia: Causes & Treatment Dyscalculia.orgUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonMichigan State UniversityPBS | MACULEduTopia | TechLearning ...

 Calc. Defects Dec 7, 2010 9:09 AM  by Renee Hamilton-Newman

... LM, Reis IL, Grafman J. Metabolic abnormalities detected by 1H-MRS in dyscalculia anddysgraphiaNeurology 199953639–41.Abstract/FREE Full Text↵ Rickard TC, Romero SG, Basso G ...
Research‎ > ‎Calc. Defects

 Texas MLD Law Dec 10, 2010 9:03 AM  by Renee Hamilton-Newman

... or related to dyslexia, such as developmental auditory imperception, dysphasia, specific developmental dyslexia, developmental dysgraphia, and developmental spelling disability.        SECTION 7.  Section 42.152(c-1), Education Code, is amended ...
Diagnosis: Law‎ > ‎Texas MLD Law