Why kids with Dysgraphia, DCD, and ADHD should learn dictation skills

Our daughter has struggled with written output since preschool.  By grade 4 she was equipped with laptop at school to allow her the ability to do her written work.  The results were amazing.  We began to see a side of our daughter that was hidden for so long.

Children with ADHD and DCD, like our daughter, can be adversely affected by their ever growing self awareness regarding their challenges with their respective conditions.  Gross motor and fine motor skills are two skills that everyone notices right away and what was so frustrating for our daughter was, in her own words, feeling like she could not keep up in class, that her peers would comment, often unkindly, and that she began to feel "stupid" and less than, children in her peer group.

Once equipped with the laptop, we discovered that she can actually type faster than write and get her thoughts, ideas and perspectives out in a way she couldn't previously.  We began to see immediate improvement in her self-esteem, self-confidence, and her willingness to put more into her school work.

Our daughter has just finished her last year of elementary school and will be starting high school this September.  She still has her laptop, but has discovered that she actually enjoys writing by hand more now than before.  Her teachers at the end of this school year praised her determination and persistence in improving her own written output.  So, she now feels comfortable interchanging between writing and typing and as parents we feel very proud.

Here is a very interesting article from the Learning Works for Kids site written October 2014 by Dr. Randy Kulman, on why kids with Dysgraphia (written output challenges), DCD and ADHD should learn dictation skills - Learning Works for Kids - article