Technology for Writing

Dysgraphia is a type of learning disability that affects an individual's ability to recognize forms in letters, to write letters and words on paper and to understand the relationship between sounds, spoken language and written letters (Logsdon, 2009). Individuals with dysgraphia may have difficulty with fine motor skills in writing such as motor memory, muscle coordination and movement as well as have trouble with language and visual perception. Individuals with dysgraphia can have significant problems in the area of written language and face difficulties such as reversals of letters and numbers, spelling errors and illegible handwriting. There are two types of voice recognition software systems, discrete and continuous. Discrete voice recognition systems require the individual to pause between words when they are dictating while the words appear on the screen output device. If the word is not correct then the individual is able to choose the correct word from a menu utilizing the editing options. Continuous voice recognition systems allow the individual with disabilities to dictate what they want to write without pausing between words. Dragon Naturally Speaking is a system that gives the individual support with the Internet, email and letterwriting. A device that is also very effective for note-taking is a tape-recorder. For individuals with difficulties writing recording the notes allows the individual to focus on the speaker and the content rather than focusing on listening and attempting to identify what needs to be written down and writing it all down.

Logsdon, Ann. (2009). Understanding Dysgraphia-Learn about Dysgraphia Writing Disorder.
About.com: Learning Disabilities. Retrieved October 4, 2009 from http://learningdisabilities.about.com/od/learningdisabilitybasics/p/dysgraphia.htm