Typing is a forced skill for me. You have to know my mom to understand that fully. I will ask her to post next my journal entry on the beginning of my typing experience.
I began as a faciltiated response to my Mom. when shared thoughts produced too much anxiety we switched to typing spelling words to learn the skill. I type independently now on my own motion and will, but it is a much slower process than facilitation.
To type is a skill with many variables to learn: to start, eye-hand, to stop, to withdraw, to cross over board, it is all motor pieces some can and can't do. I type with my pointer finger one hand. I hold Mom's finger when I facilitate. Her heartbeat works as a motor cue to start. Eye-hand is stressful to my system. I memorize the key location so I do not have to look as much. I am wearing a heavy coat today to help with knowing my start point, where I am moving from. It is a lot of work, but with a purpose now for me, and others, and God Too. My typing is still with a long way to go, but from where I started it is a miracle of motor movement.
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I facilitate typing with my son too. I would love to read your mom's posting. When I read your blog it gives me a lot of hope and spirit to work with my son.
ReplyDeleteThank you, thank you, thank you! This is so helpful to me!!
ReplyDeleteColby
You are welcome. I tell you more in case it helps. Once you know problems for your child isolate to teach to them. Crutch for what he can not do as a temporary solution. If he can not cross mid-line easy use a smaller board to side of hand he uses to type. If he has trouble knowing his start point use an object, like button to place on keys. This also helps memorizing key placement and eye hand and sometimes with end point too. Mom used a clicker pen as stylus for me so I can hear end point. For kinesthetic learner it would work to feel it too as an end point. One keyboard has key guard that helps with this too. Mom uses different boards to teach to different things. To withdraw I take my hand to a set destination, each time the same. Color may matter. Black and white was best for me, but color may help another not like me. I use auditory cues to move, but for others it is visual cues they move to. To see and copy may aid some. Pieces do not have to look like the end skill. Emergent skill is a fast learn, but deficits and pivotals are greatest gains in long run.
ReplyDeleteYou can look here too. Hers is another experience. Lots of entries on typing.
http://ballastexistenz.autistics.org