How to Teach Handwriting to Children With Autism

Teaching handwriting to a child with autism takes time and patience. The greatest barrier that an instructor will face when teaching handwriting is the child's general weakness in fine motor skills, a common problem among autistic children. If instruction and practice remain constant, however, the child should gradually achieve the coordinating skills necessary for handwriting.

Instructions

1. Assess the child's fine motor ability level and develop activities to strength a child's hand and fingers. Fine motor exercises can be developed by doing the following activities: Sifting through a container of dried beans and macaroni with their fingers, squeezing stress relief balls, lacing beads on a string, finger painting, playing sorting games, playing with toys that have winding mechanisms and playing with water and sand.

2. Provide appropriate writing instruments to the child. Begin with a simple utensil such as a thick crayon, because crayons are more durable than pencils, and children with autism will sometimes push too hard and break the writing instrument when learning handwriting.

3. Teach the child how to hold the writing instrument. Holding a pencil too tightly or too loosely is a common problem. Instructors may find success by placing the pencil in the child's hand and covering it with their own hand, to provide a visual example of the skill. Nonslip paper can be useful as well as a slanted writing platform.

4. Help the child to practice writing letters and numbers. Capital letters are easier for children to learn than smaller letters, and some children with autism prefer writing capital letters. Develop letter writing before beginning any sentencing.

5. Further assist the child by providing special writing instruments. Instructors may use weighted pencils, special pencils that attach (via an elastic band) to the child's wrist and pencils designed with grips.

Tips & Warnings

• Have children practice daily, and have them repeat the exercises more than once during each lesson. Try to use an environment free from distractions. Make sure the child is sitting in an upright position. Lap mats may assist the child who finds it difficult to sit still.

• Be aware that children with autism may respond slower than most children.

References

• Improving Handwriting in Students With Autism
• Handwriting Without Tears