Aids for Reading, Writing, and Drawing

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HealthWiki > Disabled Village Children > Chapter 53: Education: At Home, at School, at Work > Aids for Reading, Writing, and Drawing

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In this chapter:

 

In this chapter:

PENCIL HOLDER FOR A WEAK OR PARALYZED HAND

For children who have difficulty holding a pen, pencil, or brush, or turning the pages of a book, you can think of all sorts of adaptations. Here are a few examples:

piece of leather or stiff cloth fastened to a stick, with space to force a pencil through the hole stick Velcro or buckle

SIMPLE MODEL strap around hand

Velcro (sticks-to-itself strap) long thin pocket to hold pencil sewed onto strap

AIDS FOR HOLDING PENCILS, PENS OR BRUSHES

A thick handhold gives better grip and control

pencil-sized hole piece of a tree branch screw to hold pencil in place

piece of hose or tubing

rubber ball hole slightly smaller than pencil—so that it must be forced through it

brush

For other ideas, see "Prevention of Injury for Persons with Loss of Feeling and Strength" and "Homemade Equipment to Help Eating.

PAGE TURNER (Design for head)

metal rod attached to headband pencil upside down wire to keep pages straight rubber eraser used for “grip” to turn pages. wood book support For writing, a pencil or pen can be taped with the point down	Tray table lifts up for reading and writing, and down for eating

Many children who have poor hand control and cannot write clearly by hand can learn to write well on a typewriter—using their hands or a stick attached to their heads. A typewriter or computer may be a wise investment for a child with severe disabilities—and may in time provide a way for her to earn money.

A pocket calculator is much cheaper than a typewriter. A person with disabilities who is good with numbers can do many different kinds of accounting jobs.

For more ideas on aids and adaptations, see Chapter 27 on amputations, Chapter 9 on cerebral palsy, and Chapter 62 on special aids.

Lupito’s family was afraid to let him go to school. They thought the other children would tease him. Village rehabilitation workers convinced his family to let him go to school, and to also lead a CHILD-to-child activity with the schoolchildren. Lupito now attends school happily and does very well.

Lupito at school...

and at play.

This page was updated:04 Apr 2024