To re Alphasmart

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

On 3/12/06 8:21 AM, you wrote:

> Has anyone had any experience with an Alphasmart. My nine year old AS

> son's therapist has recommended that I ask the school to get him one.

> It sounds great. However, I know the school will say that it will be

> giving him another crutch.

The Alphasmart (a lightweight word processor) was a tremendous help to my

son from third grade on. He had two major problems with writing: figuring

out what to say, and physically putting the words on paper. His fine motor

coordination (at least for writing) was delayed, compared with that of other

kids his age. So if the school says the Alphasmart would be a crutch, I

would agree with them, and then ask them if they would tell a kid who

couldn't walk that he should learn to get along without a crutch! Having

physical difficulty with writing is not very different from having other

physical problems such as blindness, hearing difficulties, or trouble with

walking.

Some teachers think (erroneously) that the child who has trouble writing is

just being stubborn or uncooperative. Instead of refusing him appropriate

technology to compensate for his problem, they should welcome anything that

will help him write!

I also found that when my son's physical problems with writing were being

met, that freed him and his helpers to focus on the other, far more

difficult problem of what to write.

Alphasmarts are not very expensive. If you encounter any opposition to

getting him one, try using the words " appropriate technology, " and refer the

people you're talking with to the Individuals with Disabilities Education

Act, which requires public schools to provide a " free and APPROPRIATE "

education to all their students.

Jill