Considering that most of the target population has little difficulty keyboarding or utilizing their fine motor skills to use a mouse and that handwriting is being forced into extinction by technology, (whew) then WHY would it be necessary to base a student’s worth on their capacity to produce written work? What difference does it really make? If they want to write something on paper, they type it into their computer or Blackberry and click Print.

Our AS daughter also has dysgraphia, which makes it very difficult to write. Homework was a disaster, she knew the answers, but couldn’t get them on paper. Hours wasted at the kitchen table because the school insisted it was important for her success in school. How self-esteem building was that? At 27, with 60 credits and having graduated from several career training schools and programs, she still doesn’t have a job. And she still can’t write.

If you want to teach and train, forget handwriting and make it the executive functioning, life and social skills that they need.