I was thinking about how we taught our daughter who has Autism to use a pencil and honestly, I cannot take the credit. Teaching her to write was primarily done with the help of an occupational therapist but I do remember some things that might be helpful to you.
Please note that I am not a therapist and have no official training. You should consult with your doctor and/or therapist for specialized recommendations. I am just sharing things that we found helpful.
Hand Therapy to Build Muscle Tone
Our daughter had weak muscle tone in her hands. The therapist gave us a special pencil grip that would slide on and help Lira put her fingers in the right place but we also had to find ways to build her stamina.
Vertical Surfaces ~ To build muscle tone, we had her paint with water on a fence. The motion of bending her wrist up and down was helpful. We also had her use an art easel and would pin paper to the wall for her to color. Vertical surfaces were important.
Squeezing ~ Playdough and stress balls helped build the muscles in her fingers. Using playdough was actually not easy so we had to start with the softer kind and work our way up. Rolling pins were helpful too.
Stretchy Bands ~ Our therapist gave us a piece of stretchy rubber (read: BIG but thin rubber band) to place tug-of-war games. The tension strengthened her arms and wrists.
Activities to Encourage Writing
Very early in our homeschooling journey, I learned that I had to think outside the box. I gave up trying to teach penmanship and just wanted her to write… anything… that I asked her to write. So, I had to get very creative with our school lessons.
Tag Team ~ We would take turns. I write for a little while and then she writes for a little while.
Change Mediums ~ Instead of using pencils and worksheets, I tried to come up with as many different ways I could get her to write… without making her write. We used finger paint in zip-top bags, shaving cream in zip-top bags and on table tops, sidewalk chalk, paint, dry erase markers, crayons, sand… whatever I could think of.
Oral Lessons ~ Some days, we would just keep our lessons oral because it just is not worth a fight. Seriously… what would she learn if I pushed so hard there was a tantrum and tears?
Change Location ~ I did not keep school restricted to the table. We would have school outside, on the living room floor, in her bed, on the couch… A clip board is a wonderful thing. Lap desks are awesome too.
Be Flexible
Your child is unique and cannot be fit into a cookie-cutter. Make sure that the way you approach any therapy reflects the individual needs your child has. Each day will be different. Roll with it.
Apps for Teaching Autistic Children to Write
While some of these apps might not be a perfect fit, just the action of tracing letters on a tablet can move your child closer to writing.
iTrace — handwriting for kids – iTrace iOS
“‘With an engaging, kid-friendly interface and many options to customize and track children’s progress, iTrace is a valuable app for parents, teachers and occupational therapists.”, Libby Curran, People Magazine’s Teacher of the Year”
iWriteWords (Handwriting Game) – gdiplus iOS
“iWriteWords teaches your child handwriting while playing a fun and entertaining game. The New York Times: One of ‘The Best iPhone Apps for Kids.’ The Washington Post: One of ‘The best iPad apps for special needs kids.'”
MagicTrace – Nobuhiro Watanabe iOS
“This is a revolutionary hand drawing software! It is an application that can be traced by hand on paper. You can run anywhere at any time if there is a pen and smartphone stand. You do not need the Tracing paper or light box!”
Dexteria – Fine Motor Skill Development – BinaryLabs, Inc. iOS
“Dexteria is Approved by CommonSenseMedia.org * Winner of Editors’ Choice Award by Apps For Children With Special Needs * Dexteria is part of our family of essential apps for OTs * Voted TOP 3 APP in SmartAppsForKids”
Writing Wizard – Kids Learn to Write Letters & Words Android
“From the creator of award-winning educational apps, Writing Wizard is designed to help every child learn how to trace letters and words through a fun system carefully designed to maintain motivation.”
More Ways to Teach Your Child with Autism to Write
Many readers have left great suggestions in the comments. To make sure you do not miss these golden pieces of advice:
We struggled with this for several years then I gave up. Best thing I ever did.We allowed our Aspie to use the computer to keyboard [for] his answers and this took away the majority of the meltdowns. – Mary
Her A.B.A trained her to hold the pencil, started with finger paints play dough etc, when it came time for the lines she used bendaroos on paper and had her trace above the lines. Their pencil can’t go past them. – Melissa
My son’s o.t. worked a lot with him on his pincer grasp (thumb and index finger) so he’d be able to hold a crayon/pencil correctly and comfortably when he started school. He peeled stickers, picked up little items with tweezers and chopsticks, and played games such as Don’t Break the Ice and Don’t Spill the Beans. – Nancy
Tools to Help Autistic Children to Write
The Pencil Grip Writing CLAW for Pencils and Utensils
The Pencil Grip Original Universal Ergonomic Writing Aid for Righties and Lefties
Abilitations Egg Ohs! Handwriting Grips
Pencil Grip Universal Ergonomic Writing Aid
Additional Resources for Helping Your Child to Write
- Understand the cause behind why your child with Autism hates to write and common concerns at Autism Digest.
- The Language Arts Journal of Michigan suggests various teaching strategies for children with Autism who hate to write.
- Learn to teach the pincer grip with Handwriting Without Tears.
Crying still…My 9 y/o daughter had OT last summer and well I bought every grip “Therapy Shoppe” has. Fast forward to today, she has not been seen or evaluated by anyone. We are HS for exactly 2 years this month, and she still bangs her hands after a short amount of time of print, we like handwriting without tears, but MY tears are still there! Sigh, Much money has gone into curriculum NOT meant for us, I am broke and overwhelmed 🙁 I plan on speaking to my LEAH HS leader, she has the heart and compassion for my DD. 🙂 With that, I stumbled upon your website, and I have been SUPER blessed by you and your family! 🙂
Thank you, Thank you! Please keep our journey in prayer! Good news is that she did learn how to read and write once I pulled her out, so progress has been made. God Bless,
Dee
Dee, It is my privilege to pray for you and your family as you travel this stressful path. My prayer is that God would give you the courage to try new things, the compassion to remain calm during tantrums, the peace to know that God is in control, and the wisdom to know what is best for your child. {{HUGS}} I know how difficult it can be but God has a plan and He is not finished with you or your daughter yet.
We struggled with this for several years then I gave up.Best thing I ever did.We allowed our aspie to use the computer to keyboard his answers and this took away the majority of the meltdowns. He started using the keyboard at a very young age and soon became very proficient with it. When his brother was diagnosed with PPD-NOS, I went with keyboarding again. I have taught both to sign their names in cursive but otherwise don’t insist on much in the way of them having to hand write anything.If they go to college,they will be able to use a laptop for any writing.
I meant PDD- NOS. Sorry for the typo.
Her A.B.A trained her to hold the pencil, started with finger paints play dough etc, when it came time for the lines she used bendaroos on paper and had her trace above the lines. Their pencil can’t go past them. She is not fully writing but she can do lines and circles without bendaroos now.
Thanks for sharing your valuable experiences. To be honest, I like the recommedations of those who have been through it more than the therapists’ advice.
I am an OT and find that sometimes families have more to offer than we do! What works for one child may not work for another, the important thing is to keep trying. And I do believe that there are times it’s completely appropriate to give up! Name stamps, computers…sometimes you need to just give it a break. Great site!
This brings back memories of when my son, now 16, was diagnosed first with sensory integration dysfunction and then autism. I can’t imagine going through that difficult time without our amazing o.t. who was so knowledgeable, helpful, and compassionate. Don’t buy the inclusion lie that one-on-one services are not needed. My son benefited immensely from weekly sessions in speech and o.t. My son’s o.t. worked a lot with him on his pincer grasp (thumb and index finger) so he’d be able to hold a crayon/pencil correctly and comfortably when he started school. He peeled stickers, picked up little items with tweezers and chopsticks, and played games such as Don’t Break the Ice and Don’t Spill the Beans.
Those are GREAT ideas! I need to add them to the post so everyone will read them. THANK YOU!
Hi,
My son is able to do tracing now but still doesn’t have the confidence to write alphabets on his own, he can only make S, T and I , but I work with him every day so i am hoping that given time he might be able to do it eventually, if you have any more ideas please share. The major concern we are finding is that he invades people’s personal space and starts talking to any stranger and he loves car keys so as soon as he sees anyone with car keys he walks straight up to them and tries to take it from their hands, any suggestions how to teach him about personal space.