Various Seat Cushions such as Bumpy Disc, FitBall, FitBall Balance, FitBall Wedge. - Supports students in all areas of the writing process.
- It supports students who are fidgety, under-aroused, or uncomfortabl in a regular school chair. Seat cushions also help improve posture, increase trunk strength, and reduce back strain, so this seat cushions would assist students who are in need of these benefits as well.
- Seat cushions, which are generally air filled cushions with one smooth side and one bumpy side, are placed on the students chair and provides the student with enough wiggle and sensory stimulation to improve their attention to the task.
- Seat cushions can be found in many stores and online. Pocket full of Therapy offers many different styles of seat cushions starting in price from $23.95.
- Seat cushions are a compensatory strategy.
Pencil Grips- Supports students in the lower level mechanical part of the writing process.
- It supports students who need assistance with grip and control of writing utensils. For some students a Pencil Grip may allow them the independence to write on their own.
- Grips are placed on the writing utensil and provide support, cushion, an easier gripping surface, or finger positioning to assist the student with their control of the utensil.
- There are many different grips available on the market. Some are available for pens, pencils, markers, etc. There are grips to improve finger positioning, strength of grip, control and support, and for creating a larger area to hold. Grips are inexpensive and can be found in many stationary stores or online at ScholarsChoice and start at $1.79.
- Custom grips can also be made with modelling clay. Check out this website for details.
- Pencil Grips can be both compensatory and remedial depending on how the grip is being used.
Writing Bird Pens - Supports students in the lower level mechanical part of the writing process.
- These pens are great for students with limited hand control, dexterity, or a weak grasp. It can also benefit students who lack the arm strength to control a pen or a pencil. It was specifically designed for people with arthritis or neurological disorders.
- The writing bird pen fits in the palm of your hand and allows the user to move the pen with their whole hand, using their upper arm strength. It can be used in both the left and right hand. Slight preassure on the tail of the bird moves the pen without smearing writing already done.
- The writing bird pen is available online at this website for $19.95.
- This can be both a remedial and compensatory strategy.
Plastic Writing Guide-Supports students in the lower level mechanical part of the writing process.
- It supports students who have difficulty writing within lines, writing in a straight line, or who have low vision.
- The plastic writing guide is designed to lay on top of the paper that the student is to write on. The guide provides several (usually 13) different rectangular openings for students to write in. These openings are generally as large as 2 or more lines of regular ruled paper. Due to the plastic construction of the writing guide, the writing utensil will stop when it hits the plastic. Some of the writing guides do not provide anything to attach the guide to the paper, and therefore could slip off the page. Tape or another form of attachment should be used to avoid frustration of the writing guide moving out of position.
- Plastic writing guides can be purchased online at many different stores, here is one for $3.49.
-Plastic writing guides can be both compensatory and remedial depending on how the guide is being used.
Left Write Guide
- Supports students in the lower and upper level mechanical part of the writing process.
- Supports students who are left handed who need support with letter formation, paper placement, arm positioning, and pen or pencil grip.
- Lef t Write Guide is a mat that students can use to remind them of different things they can do to not smudge their work, and proper positioning. The paper or book they are writing on or in can be placed on top and the student is still able to see the reminders. The mat is also laminated so students can write right on the mat with a washable marker and practice their letter formation. The guide is also available for right handed students.
- The Left Write Guide is available for $7.73 on the anything left handed website.
- This is a remedial strategy.
Pop Bottle Pictures
- Supports students in the lower level content part of the writing process.
- Supports students who have difficulty generating ideas for writing, need sensory breaks, or have difficulty visualizing ideas.
- The pop bottle pictures is a tool where students can create their own bottle of ideas. Inside the pop bottle numerous pictures are laminated and placed inside. Once the pictures are inside water, glitter, sequence, and other materials can be added to the students liking. The pop bottle is then on the students desk and if they need ideas they can squeeze, shake, or turn the pop bottle to see the different pictures that will hopefully generate a writing idea. If the student needs a sensory break there is the pop bottle with the different glitter, water, etc. to provide a stimulus.
- The Pop Bottle Picture tool is easy to make and can either be made by the teacher or the individual students. The tool is inexpensive depending on the complexity that the student or teacher wants to add to it.
- This is a compensatory strategy.
Word Ring with Pictures and Spellings-Supports students in the lower and higher level content part of the writing process.
-Supports students who do not have an extensive volcabulary memory, benefit from seeing pictures to recal words, need assistance with spelling.
- Word Rings are numerous cards placed on a ring that students are able to flip through as they are writing. The cards are about words that are commonly used by the student or words the student would like to use. Each card has the word (properly spelled), a picture of the word, and a definition. Students who need this tool for the lower level content area would use the pictures to generate the words for their writing. Students who use this tool for the higher level content area would use the word ring to check spelling or definitions of the words.
- To create a Word Ring you need craft supplies commonly found in school classrooms such as construction paper, scissors, markers, etc. You may also wish to use the computer to find pictures for the cards and definitions. The rings that the cards go on can be found at staples for $5.99.
- This is a remedial strategy
Magnetic Sight Words and Sentence Builders- Supports students in the upper level content part of the writing process.
- Supports students who do not have the fine motor skills to mechanically write. Supports students who have difficulty retrieving vocabulary, who need support creating sentences and proper use of punctuation. This tool could also benefit non verbal students communicate.
- The magnetic sight words and sentence builder package includes over 200 words and punctuation tiles. The words can be used on anything magnetic including cookie sheets, some white boards, sides of desks, etc. Students are able to create sentences with or without punctuation and make changes without having to re-write or re-type entire sentences.
- Magnetic sight words and sentence builders could be make with paper and magnetic sheets or it can be purchased at places such as Amazon for $11.83.
- This can be both remedial and compensatory depending on how it is being used.
Video on Low Tech Assistive Technology for Handwriting
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