LD and Writing

Author	Comment
Margaret 12/3/2010	As a newly qualified special education teacher I was wanting to ask the group about the best way to get students writing who have learning difficulties. I currently teach one student who refuses to write no matter what I try.
another Margaret 12/3/2010	I think you will need to find out a little about why the student hates or fears writing so much - whether it is fear of failure or embarrassment, or absence of motivation (sees no purpose in it), or some combination.  Assessment is vital, so if you cannot yet assess the skills, perhaps you can probe a little into attitudes and find out what is behind the reluctance. Are there any previous teachers you can refer to?  You have not mentioned the age, so that will make a significant difference to appropriate strategies. You might need to build trust through some oral language as a first step.
Laurel 21/06/10	You may find that this student just can not write. After many years of worry about my youngest son, I now know that he simply does not have the necessary connections in his brain to allow him to write. He has a high IQ, is socially aware, extremely practically capable - way above his years, and can read (now) and copes very well - but he cannot write. He copes with a laptop - and is having to go through the contortions that one does to allow him to do his Year 11 and 12 exams on his laptop. We will perservere - however, the fact is that he just cannot write. He has a fantastic memory - which, coupled with poor behaviour - got him through year by year until I found the right school for him.
Antonia 18/08/10	I find it encourages students if i scribe for them I also teach them how to extend their oral responses. This is very encouraging for them. Writing skills need to be slowly built up from the word level. I hope this can help. Sometimes typing is a good idea. Have you looked at programmes which have predictive text functions? Spectronics in Queensland has a range of software which could be helpful.Typing also takes the tiring part out and allows for grammar and spelling checks. Finished work thus looks a great deal less depressing.
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