This morning I joined a class session for handwriting training. There were about six elementary-age students with autism and five adult helpers in the room--whew!
This DVD was used to learn how to write the lower case letters "f" and "g":
Alphabet Beats DVD
I found the demonstrations a little slow paced but the kids were mesmerized, at least for the first letter (about 10 minutes), and then they naturally got a little "wiggly."
My OT buddy who ran the session uses it on a weekly basis with the students and says that the students really pay attention. When I was there they were chanting along with the letter talk and participating in the activities just fine (for the first 10 minutes!) All the adults were chanting along and participating, too.
Using a solid program, like Handwriting Without Tears, is very successful. The Alphabet Beats video kept the students' attention and engagement for a good 10 minutes, which is pretty much a record in our attention-span compromised world. I think using both programs will be a smart move for those of us, and for our teacher buddies, who have students with significant letter writing concerns.
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