Computer accomodations

[forkeeps251]

difficult child's day went like this: during classwork, his paper kept ripping. He got frustrated and hit his head on the desk. He got sent to the hall and then refused to go back to class, talking about how everyone hates him and wants him to die. He got sent to the resource room, where he banged his head again out of frustration, then got sent to the next class in a resource room, and banged his head again in frustration. A little girl told him not to do that and he got mad and threw a pencil at her. He was sent to the office and had a MAJOR screaming meltdown, the principal said he had never seen difficult child act that way before.

I know some people have mentioned that their children have accommodations that include being able to type all of their assignments rather than hand writing them. This all started due to frustration about his paper. Same thing has happened before about not having an eraser. If he isn't happy with his hand writing then he gets frustrated as well. He is only in first grade so although using a computer to complete homework might be possible later on, is anyone aware of anything that can help him now? Are there ways to incorporate more computerized work and less hand written work in ages this young? I don't want him to sit around playing games, obviously.

I should mention though that it isn't just when writing that he gets frustrated, but also he has a special hatred for "carpet time" which is when they sit down on the carpet and work together as a group. Not at all sure why but I know he is convinced that everyone in his class hates him.

This is such a nightmare :-((((

 

[InsaneCdn]

Paper was difficult child's nemisis. From K on. So... I really feel for your poor guy.

He still needs to learn to write... to the extent possible.
Occupational Therapist (OT) therapy helps - we have to pay for ours privately, school won't do it.
But... he should be writing on something like a whiteboard - attached to the wall - where the "paper" doesn't move, and all he has to control is the pen.

And then... yes. He needs all sorts of accommodations. But... you'll need to get dxes and/or testing and/or IEP, to get them. Computers are expensive. Usually not introduced around here until grade 3... (I know, I know...)

They need to remove all paper-based busy-work. ALL of it. Stupid crafts, matching - later, word-find.
They need to separate "learning to write" from "marked written output"... as in, he should NEVER be marked on written output, he should be learning to write. All testing should be verbal, or with a scribe (a person who HE tells the answer to and THEY write).

Go look up Developmental Coordination Disorder at www.canchild.ca
They have lots of other "writing problem" ideas.

 

[buddy]

He is pretty young, right? For assignments where writing is not the point of the lesson, I'd use a scribe for now but work toward improved writing, Occupational Therapist (OT) accommodations (tilted clip boards, pencil squishie grips, etc...) And learning keyboarding skills for future. Other options are out there like word prediction programs and voice recognition programs. Just some thoughts.

 

[Liahona]

The scribe doesn't have to be a teacher or aide. Some older kids get a great self esteem boost by helping in a younger class.

 

[BusynMember]

My son was allowed to give verbal answers or do verbal work. He had a lot of trouble holding a pencil and to this day (age nineteen) he HAS learned how to print rather nicely, but he can't write and he prefers the computer. You most certainly can have accomodations.

Does your child not like the feel of the carpet or is he insecure or unknowing how to act around other kids? Does he know how to socialize and relate normally to his same age peers? If he doesn't, do you think he may be getting bullied? Sadly, often our differently wired children don't have any social skills and need to be taught them. Has he ever had a neuropsychologist evaluation, poor thing?