1. Interventions to Aid Written Expression for Students with Profound Gross-to-Fine Motor Skills Disabilities

2. When writing is painful… Three main goals for this project: Three main goals for this project: 1.To increase the student’s gross to fine motor skills ability in basic letter formation. 2.To provide students with options to traditional written expression, and 3.To measure which intervention provided the most immediate and lasting improvement in their ability to express themselves.

3. Background Research targets three 7 th grade special education students who have profound but varied disabilities in written expression. Research targets three 7 th grade special education students who have profound but varied disabilities in written expression. Without interventions in place, these students have difficulty in forming basic letters. Without interventions in place, these students have difficulty in forming basic letters. Some cannot consistently reproduce their name. Some cannot consistently reproduce their name.

4. Background, continued All three students will take the written SDAA in February. All three students will take the written SDAA in February. However, their disabilities impede the creative process. However, their disabilities impede the creative process. What support, if any, could help them take and meet their ARD expectations? What support, if any, could help them take and meet their ARD expectations?

5. The Ultimate Goal… All three target students have the ability and desire to tell stories. All three target students have the ability and desire to tell stories. My hope: My hope: –Give them supports and alternatives to traditional writing to help them express themselves productively in spite of their disability.

6. Rubric for Written Work Level One The student’s work contains words on a page with no logical sequence or sentence structure, with 25 percent or fewer words spelled correctly. The student’s work contains words on a page with no logical sequence or sentence structure, with 25 percent or fewer words spelled correctly. Level Two The student’s work displays basic sentence structure according to Rule Number 1 in the student’s Self-Check Folder*. The rule states that the sentence contains a subject and verb, begins with a capital letter and ends with a period. At least 50 percent of the words would be spelled correctly. The student’s work displays basic sentence structure according to Rule Number 1 in the student’s Self-Check Folder*. The rule states that the sentence contains a subject and verb, begins with a capital letter and ends with a period. At least 50 percent of the words would be spelled correctly. Level Three The student’s work shows complex sentences, with a compound subject, predicate or clause, is correct according Rule Number 1, with at least 70 percent of the words spelled correctly. The student’s work shows complex sentences, with a compound subject, predicate or clause, is correct according Rule Number 1, with at least 70 percent of the words spelled correctly.

7. Interventions Two of the three interventions I tried were used class-wide in seventh and eighth grade Resource Language Arts classrooms. Two of the three interventions I tried were used class-wide in seventh and eighth grade Resource Language Arts classrooms. The third intervention targeted only the three students with the most handicapping written expression disabilities. The third intervention targeted only the three students with the most handicapping written expression disabilities.

8. Interventions Letter tape strips across the top of the student’s desk. Letter tape strips across the top of the student’s desk. –Low tech, simple –Available at Teacher Heaven, or online at www.educationstation.ca www.educationstation.ca

9. Intervention #1 – Letter Strips Chose to use print letters combined with cursive letters because it was less ‘elementary’. Chose to use print letters combined with cursive letters because it was less ‘elementary’. Immediate, consistent improvement in letter formation for both target and non-target students. Immediate, consistent improvement in letter formation for both target and non-target students.

10. Intervention #1 drawbacks Does not aid in spelling or sentence structure. Does not aid in spelling or sentence structure. Student’s plateau… Student’s plateau… Letter strips not available in all classrooms. Letter strips not available in all classrooms.

11. Intervention #2 - Dictation The student tells a story orally, and it is written down word for word by the teacher or specified scribe. The student tells a story orally, and it is written down word for word by the teacher or specified scribe. Writer’s Workshop

12. Three Phase Intervention Three Phase Intervention Intervention #2 - continued 1 The Student Tells the Story and the Teacher or Mentor transcribes it. 2 Students Group Edit the Story; Teacher or Mentor transcribes it again. 3 Students type in draft and prepare for final publication.

13. Drawbacks to Intervention #3 Written expression scribed by a mentor/teacher eliminates the ability to improve the students’ spelling and punctuation. Written expression scribed by a mentor/teacher eliminates the ability to improve the students’ spelling and punctuation. This is also true with a tape-recorded response, which is an allowable modification on the SDAA test. This is also true with a tape-recorded response, which is an allowable modification on the SDAA test.

14. Intervention #3 – Access to computer for written expression Microsoft Word, with Spell and Grammar Check, plus predictive text Microsoft Word, with Spell and Grammar Check, plus predictive text Met with mixed success… Met with mixed success… - Students who had difficulty hand-writing experienced similar motor difficulty with typing. - Students who had difficulty hand-writing experienced similar motor difficulty with typing. - Spell check is of little use to students with reading difficulty - Spell check is of little use to students with reading difficulty

15. Intervention #3 – Access to computer for written expression (continued) Good Intervention, but it needed… Good Intervention, but it needed…More. Type To Learn Type To Learn Partnering with Technology Dept. Partnering with Technology Dept.

16. Allowable Modifications based on these interventions Computer usage is allowable, and in place for targeted students Computer usage is allowable, and in place for targeted students For dictation, students are allowed to tape-record responses For dictation, students are allowed to tape-record responses Letter tape or cards is not an allowable modification for testing. (check this) Letter tape or cards is not an allowable modification for testing. (check this)

17. Conclusion Continuing typing instruction Continuing typing instruction Implementing Handwriting Without Tears to one of the target students (to build manual dexterity) Implementing Handwriting Without Tears to one of the target students (to build manual dexterity) Intent was no longer to improve physical handwriting but instead by- pass physical impediments Intent was no longer to improve physical handwriting but instead by- pass physical impediments True success seen through the use of all three interventions together. True success seen through the use of all three interventions together.