10 ways to help kids with disabilities write and draw

Reader Momttorney was asking about writing instruments that could help her four-year-old, who has challenges with fine-motor skills. I'm no expert though I play one in real life; over the years, I've found a bunch of stuff that's enabled Max to draw and write. I'm sharing here—please add your ideas, too!

First up: positioning paper so it's easy for your child to draw or write on. The Adapt-Ease Ergonomic Slant Writing Board above is durable and BPA-free. 

You can smoosh Crayola Model Magic around a pencil, pen, marker, crayon or piece of chalk to give it grip. 

One of Max's occupational therapists used to wind self-adhesive wrap around pencils and crayons to build them up and make them easier for Max to grasp.

 Max's school OT recently sent home this Bip Gear Pen Grip; it holds pencils, pens and crayons. Max prefers foam tubing (which you can see him using in this video). It also works well for utensils.

The Writing Claw helps kids grasp crayons, pencils, pens and skinny markers; Max isn't yet ready for it, but it looks helpful.

Alex Creamy Crayons are chunky-ish and glide really easily.

Max has used Finger Crayons (aka bulb crayons aka chubby crayons) for years. Especially purple ones.

Abilitations makes Egg Ohs Handwriting Grips that makes holding pencils easier. 

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Max likes the app game iWriteWords for tracing letters and numbers; abc PocketPhonics and Writing Wizard  are other good options.

OK, your turn: Please share strategies and suggestions for products, tools and apps that have helped your child draw and write. 

Graffiti on the driveway, and how have your kids wowed you lately?

Me: "Dave, were you and Max drawing on the driveway?"

Dave: "No, Max was."

Yep. He wrote that "Max" ALL BY HIMSELF.

Swoon.

How have your kids wowed you recently? Share so we can all celebrate!

Look who's writing!

OK, so I won't be hiring Max out anytime soon to address wedding invitations. But holy handwriting: He is scribbling his name by himself! Quite the feat for a kid with hands that sometimes don't do what he wants them to do.

Squeeeee!

Max uses a pencil encased by foam tubing, the same kind we use for the maroon spoons he eats with. The stuff looks like this:

Once again, let me just say, TAKE THAT, DOOMSAYING DOCTORS OF THE NICU.

Yeah.