When your child has a Learning Difficulty it is often very difficult for a parent or sibling to understand how a task that is easy for most people is so difficult for the LD child. Dysgraphia, or difficulty with writing, is often a visual-motor difficulty. In layman’s terms this means that the child has difficulty bringing together what he sees, a letter, and the muscle movement that reproduces that letter, writing.
To see what this is like for the LD child, try the following exercise.
On an A4 piece of paper, draw two stars, one inside the other. Have about a 2.5cm gap between the two stars.
Place your star so that you can see it in a mirror and, looking in the mirror, draw a line forming another star between the two stars on your paper. We suggest you look at your paper when you place the pencil on it to start, and then look in the mirror. This will mean that you at least start in the right place. J As you struggle with this task the irritation you feel when you see your child’s messy writing will quickly be replaced by awe at how much your child has actually achieved!
NILD’s Rhythmic Writing is an integrative technique that helps pattern in the shapes, or motifs, that make up cursive writing. The method used in Rhythmic Writing brings together cognitive (thinking), perceptual (the ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses) and motor (controlled muscle movements) skills. Not only will writing improve, but many other skills necessary for learning will be positively impacted.
For more information contact an NILD therapist in your area.
Does your child have a learning disability?
A NILD educational therapist can help.