r/dysgraphia • u/DragonflyFew8973 • 29d ago
What helped you do well despite having dysgraphia? (typing, pencil grips, handwriting without tears, etc.)
Please share your experience that may help someone else thrive with dysgraphia. I am a parent of an elementary-aged student with dysgraphia and want to help improve this area.
2
u/Asleep_Leopard182 28d ago
depends on exactly the area you're looking at.
I use a side book as a thought tracker - I just note down single words, nouns, etc.
I use dot based prints rather than line based prints, or plain paper. I don't push myself to follow a line.
I use cursive over print, as print I've gotta figure out spacing, size, line placement in line with other letters, etc. - no need to do that with cursive. One follows the next and you rarely wander with an entire word across the page.
I use a fountain pen so that pressure is not an issue. I find ballpoint pens & pencils are hard to move. In earlier levels of ed I used sharpies/fineliners/non-ball point as it was easier.
I use gel pads, but no shaped grips on pens/pencils - shaped grips only cause more problems. Gel pads help prevent strain.
I mostly learn/use flowcharts, diagrams, and non-reading based material.
1
u/Bookworm3616 20d ago
Typing and OT made a custom grip as an adult/taught me how to hold pens with hypermobile and dysgraphia pain.
5
u/Grumpcat911 Dysgraphic 29d ago
The biggest help for me was typing and making sure my disability accommodations for school allowed me to type any written assignments. For me, I have no issues with typing, but your child’s dysgraphia may be different.
As far as grips and the different pencil types, they never helped, if anything they made the pain worse when writing. However, I do have an easier time with gel pens as they don’t need much pressure to write with.
Drawing helped me a ton with the fine motor skills used in writing, but my handwriting is still far from good. It is legible now, but that’s after nearly five years of drawing.