Overview of the Writing Process

Overview of the Writing Process

Imagine not being able to fully participate in one of the most common forms of communication – writing. “Students with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, or learning and physical disabilities may struggle in written language expression” (Gardner, 43). Not only are students who experience problems with writing excluded from one very important communication source; as educators we ask students of all abilities to produce written work on a daily basis. What we may not be fully realizing is the amount of work that goes into the writing task, even for what may appear to be just a simple sentence. Writing is an advanced, energy consuming process that requires both mechanical and content skills.

Physically we are asking students to use their hands to produce text – which may seem simple enough.  However, behind that task is the brain power needed to put words on paper – this task involves layers and layers of brain activity and developed skills, from short term memory and muscle control all the way to retrieval of prior knowledge about spelling. All the while we are asking that students remain focused on the task at hand and engaged in the writing process, despite whatever kind of day they’re having.

Given that the writing process is such a large task we need to consider how that task changes when students have difficulty in one or more areas of the writing process. As Wollack and Koppenhaver illustrate we need recognize that “many students with disabilities have to attend to the use of their pencil more consciously and specifically than typically-developing students who have mastered pencil use or touch-typing” (3). Even problems with pencil grip can add to the level of effort required to produce a small written task.  This is where assistive technology comes into play. Peterson-Karlan points out that:

 “There is a long history to the suggestion that technology can be particularly advantageous for students with learning and academic disabilities in remediating or compensating for these problems. Word processors, word prediction, spell checkers, text-to-speech, and organization tools have all been extensively discussed as helping or having potential to help students with disabilities to engage in the many levels of cognition required”

to produce effective writing (43). Therefore it is vital for us, as educators, to be aware of the areas that students need support during the writing process and match assistive technologies appropriately as well as keep up with more recent technologies to support these areas.

Gardener, T. Speech Recognition for Students with Disabilities in Writing. Physical Disabilities: Education and Related Services, 2008, v26 n2 p43-53.

Peterson-Karlan, George R. Technology to Support Writing by Students with Learning and Academic

Disabilities: Recent Research Trends and Findings. Assistive Technology Outcomes and Benefits Focused Issue: Assistive Technology and Writing. Summer 2011, Volume 7, p39-62.

Wollack, B. and Koppenhaver, D. Developing Technology-Supported, Evidence-Based Writing Instruction for Adolescents with Significant Writing Disabilities. Assistive Technology Outcome and Benefits Focused Issue: Assistive Technology and Writing. summer 2011. Volum 7, p1-23.