SnapType an Occupational Therapy App

As a teacher, I have always had a few kids each year that have struggled with fine motor skills or dysgraphia which at times can make their handwriting unreadable.  It wasn't until I became a Mom and my son had significant handwriting issues that I realized that this struggle is real.  I thought that I could "fix" this issue by giving him extra fine motor practice at home, doing additional handwriting lessons, and spending countless hours each night on homework.  All that resulted was an exhausted child with little to no change in is handwriting abilities which ultimately led to frustration.  After years of struggling, I began to look more into tools that could help my son make his writing legible.  My focus shifted from trying to change his handwriting (which is harder to do after the age of 9) to finding tools that could help him show his mastery of skills, because he was in fact very bright but could not show it on paper.  Needless to say, I found many tools available through the use of technology.  We began video recording, using word processing, typing apps and websites, and dictation tools.  I am now always on the lookout for the next new tool to use with my son and students. I recently came across the free app, Snaptype.  This app allows the teacher or parent to take a picture of an assignment on an ipad.  Students can then type responses onto the same assignment as peers. They are able to keep up and have less fatigue.  Parents reported that homework time was significantly decreased and teachers responded that they actually got longer written responses from students because they were able to produce more written work in a faster amount of time.  Students' confidence increases as they are able to share their work without the stigma of messy or unreadable handwriting.  The assignments can be saved, emailed, and printed with little prep necessary.  I plan on trying this app out this week in my classroom and at home with my son.  I'll keep you updated on how it goes!