Children who Struggle with Handwriting Need an Advocate

The effects of a single challenge area, such as handwriting mechanics, on a student’s classroom performance, is not easily measured, and may be overlooked as the primary cause of a child’s underachievement, lack of motivation and low self-esteem. Children of all ages may need an adult advocate to understand and help ease their daily struggle in school due to handwriting challenges.

Remediation paired with classroom accommodations and modifications can be addressed through an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) however, many children with handwriting issues not meet the criteria to receive extra support through the school.

Initiating a team approach to collaborate about a child’s struggles can be an effective way for teachers, tutors and parents to advocate for a child and to rally for support and understanding from his/her teachers.

Concerned parents should take initiative to communicate with their child’s teachers to make decisions about an appropriate balance of remediation, accommodations and/or modifications. Narrow the focus to no more than three specific goals/strategies at a time, and be prepared to try different strategies if one is not effective.

Be open to strategies that might help your child to build skills and to work around challenge areas, including strategies that may involve extra practice and work at home or outside of school with summer and/or after-school tutoring. Brief blocks of time to practice skills on a consistent basis are often most successful. Be persistent with working to understand, support and advocate for your student with handwriting difficulty.

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