On November 7, 2024, the Dysgraphia Life Webinar Series welcomed Kelli Fetter, MS, OTR/L, a occupational therapist, handwriting specialist and founder of Handwriting Solutions, to provide immediate strategies for supporting students with dysgraphia. Drawing from both her professional and personal experiences, Fetter shared actionable tips to aid educators and parents alike. This webinar is more than just tips and tricks; it’s a heartfelt discussion about the emotional impacts of dysgraphia and the importance of community support. Kelli’s personal experience with her daughter's dyslexia and dysgraphia adds a genuine touch that truly resonates.
While live, Kelli also announced her new, more in-depth online course on dysgraphiaLEARN! This course is now available for purchase for anyone who wants to learn more about how to approach dysgraphia to help their student(s).
The free webinar featured practical exercises, including an interactive activity where participants wrote with their non-dominant hand to simulate the challenges faced by students with dysgraphia. This exercise effectively conveyed the frustration and cognitive load involved, fostering greater empathy and understanding among attendees.
A few important takeaways from the webinar were:
Understanding Dysgraphia:
Fetter kicked off by explaining that dysgraphia is much more than just poor handwriting. It's a neurological condition that affects various aspects of written expression, from letter formation and spelling to the ability to get thoughts down on paper. This complexity underscores the need for a multifaceted approach to support.
Building Foundational Skills:
Fetter emphasized the importance of focusing on foundational skills to help children. Addressing weaknesses in fine motor skills, visual skills, sensory processing, attention, and executive function forms the bedrock of effective intervention. Activities such as practicing pencil grasp with pom poms can be both engaging and beneficial for young learners.
Multisensory Learning:
Engaging multiple senses—touch, sight, sound, and even smell—can make writing practice more effective and enjoyable. Fetter stressed that children learn faster and more efficiently when activities are fun and immersive. Quality practice with short, focused, and interactive sessions can significantly diminish the anxiety and frustration often felt by students with dysgraphia.
Explicit Instruction and Scaffolding:
Fetter advocates for a "scaffolding" approach to teaching writing, which involves starting with imitation and visual copying before progressing to independent writing tasks. This method helps meet students where they are and gradually builds their confidence and skills. Explicit instruction in writing, particularly cursive, was also emphasized for its benefits in improving written composition and spelling.
The Importance of Support and Advocacy:
Both speakers reiterated the crucial role of a supportive team, comprising general and special education teachers, occupational therapists, and educational tutors. Parents should advocate for their children's needs by seeking professional support and exploring options like 504 plans or IEPs. Early intervention is key, and being attuned to any delays in literacy development can make a significant difference.
Tools and Technology:
Fetter introduced a variety of tools and recommendations to make writing less daunting. These range from using erasable pens to reduce anxiety to leveraging technology solutions like Grammarly. As students transition to middle school, it's essential to evaluate the effectiveness of remediation efforts and consider appropriate assistive technology like speech-to-text tools, which have seen recent improvements.
Thank you to everyone who participated live! Your questions and comments added valuable perspectives. If you missed it or wish to review the content again, you can access the full-length recording on dysgraphiaLEARN.
By implementing these strategies and fostering a supportive environment, we can help children with dysgraphia become more functional and efficient writers, ultimately enhancing their academic experience and self-confidence.
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