Dysgraphia App

You may have a child in your classroom, on your caseload or in your home who avoids handwriting at all costs...maybe the reason that they are avoiding writing is not clear.  Do they have poor motor skills that are causing them difficulty?  Is the process of writing fatiguing because of poor handwriting mechanics?  Is it because he or she can't seem to get their thoughts out of their head and on to the paper?  Is there anxiety related to doing work?  Maybe they have dysgraphia?  What is dysgraphia??  Dysgraphia is a type of learning disability that affects writing.  Kids with dysgraphia might have difficulty with spelling, poor/illegible handwriting or have trouble getting their thoughts down on paper.  Dysgraphia is actually a processing issue, though, not necessarily a motor issue alone, so just because a child has poor handwriting, it does not mean they have dysgraphia.  In certain cases, maybe a child is a non-writer, but can type on a keyboard. No matter what the cause, there is the question of how to best address illegible handwriting on worksheets.  Sometimes we require the kid to re do their papers so that we can read it.  Sometimes we have an adult/paraprofessional scribe for them...  Wouldn't it be great if there was a way that our students could type their answers on their worksheets so that we could read it and so that independence with handwriting and completing worksheets could be addressed?

A colleague and friend of mine (thanks, Nichole!) shared this the other day, and I wanted to pass it along to my readers~  It is a FREE app for dysgraphia called SnapType that allows you to take a picture of a worksheet using an iPad, and then your child can type their answers on the iPad vs. having to write them out.  Of course you can use this for any handwriting related issue where illegibility or getting thoughts on paper is impacting work performance.  Read about the inspiration behind the app and some more specifics here:

http://www.additudemag.com/adhdblogs/30/11108.html

Another Work Task Resource~

I recently found another work task resource that I think is worth mentioning-  I have really been working with other team members on setting up structured work tasks for some of my students lately, and any time I can find some added suggestions and guidance, I am excited!  So, here is a website where you can find and order some books regarding structured work tasks:

http://www.tasksgalore.com/index.html

Their books are also available as ibooks, which is another great option, especially if you want to get to work on things right away!

Fabulous Scented Pencils!

Got these fabulous holiday scented Smencils for Christmas from an OT friend of mine (thanks, Matia!), and my students LOVE THEM.  And of course when I find something that kids love, I have to pass it along on my blog...  I almost always have scented markers in my bag for kids to use, but the scents of these pencils set them apart!

The holiday Smencils are not colored pencils, each are regular pencils.  The kids love to smell all of them;  the scents are long lasting, and each pencil is inside a tube, which preserves the scent very well.  There is an added fine motor aspect to using them too, in that the kids have to pull off the cap, pour the pencil out of the tube, and then put it back in and cap it when they are done. Such fun!

Smencils also come in a package of 10 colored pencils, too!  Each of them has a "distinctive gourmet food aroma," and again they are contained in a case to preserve freshness of the scents.  You can find them at Barnes and Noble, or order them on their website here:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/home-gift-smencils-gourmet-scented-colored-pencils-in-pouch-set-of-10/15792645?ean=9780641911873

Autism Classroom Resources

I happened upon this awesome blog site, and it is full of information regarding classroom strategies, work tasks, etc. for educators who work with kids with autism!  The blog's author, Christine Reeve, has written books and has also created a ton of activities and classroom kits that are available for purchase on her blog site and through Teachers Pay Teachers.  Teachers Pay Teachers is a website where educators share their original teaching resources, and all is available to purchase, or you may find free downloads as well.  If you haven't created an account and accessed Teachers Pay Teachers, you really should do so!

You can find Christine Reeve's blog site, Autism Classroom News, here: http://www.autismclassroomnews.com/ 

There is a link on the blog site to access her resources on Teachers Pay Teachers, but, if you aren't familiar with that site, you can create an account and browse that site by clicking here:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/