I have an imminent IEP meeting regarding DS7's brand spanking new written expression disorder diagnosis (dysgraphia by all accounts but the DSM IV language was required). I'm going to re-visit Wright's Law and re-read old threads here, but I was hoping for a 'greatest hits' list of accommodations from the dysgraphia veterans on the board. The IEP will be for grade 3 next year and the school's point person is wonderfully knowledgable about gifties & dysgraphia - other players less so, which makes for some...interesting...meetings and will complicate the IEP drafting.

Thanks in advance for what I know will be excellent suggestions!

Coastal, search Polarbear's back posts: Polar knows a ton.

DeeDee

Thanks, DeeDee. It was much faster to get back to the right threads just searching Polarbear's posts.

Thanks, MoN. Your suggestions were most helpful (and the typing & composition lessons will be running all summer, likely with much complaint from DS7!).

My DS has DCD with dysgraphia and no IEP, but a 504. The school refused to grant an IEP because he is not below grade level, so if you hear that, don't give up and just switch to "Ok, we'll take a 504 and here are the accommodations!"

We used almost all of what Polarbear has suggested in previous threads with a few add ins. My DS is 10, four years accelerated in math- so he is allowed to use a white board and a fat pen for any standardized testing or scratch paper where he does not need to show work. This was actually his idea- the fat pen and ease of writing makes him able to work faster without hand cramps.

His math work is reduced and always on graph paper. He is allowed to type any and all assignments. We homeschool through a public charter and he does have site based classes. They are all required to follow the 504.

I insisted on accommodations for standardized testing- both extra time and an assigned "bubbler". He doesn't need them right now physically because our state tests are short and lame, but I wanted it documented and used, because he will likely take the ACT in a year or two. I wanted to make sure it was clear that he needed and used them!

We desperately fought the Alphasmart, and he has a cheap laptop instead. In his ripe old age- laptop=cool, alphasmart=not cool. Any assistive technology must be accepted by the kid, or it won't be useful at all.

And if you're not opposed, the #1 thing that has made DS's typing speed faster and more accurate is playing Multiplayer Minecraft with friends :-) We tried several programs, but the motivation is there when you have to talk to other people!