This blog post can be found at LD Parents

http://ldparents.blogspot.com/2009/05/shaky-hands.html

Around the time my son started to talk, his speech therapist noticed that his hands trembled whenever he tried to color with crayons, drink from a cup, put food in his mouth or grasp small objects. An MRI showed everything was fine and we were told that these hand tremors or what we called, “shaky hands,” were here to stay.

I quickly accepted that my son probably would never become a neurosurgeon but I didn’t realize the effect that poor fine motor skills and “shaky hands” would have in the classroom. Writing is tiring and mostly illegible. Over the past 10 years, the schools have tried to help and I’ve sought help from outside professionals but the problems persist and handwriting remains his biggest obstacle in the classroom.

Poor Handwriting (dysgraphia)

What’s worked – Using an AlphaSmart or small portable keyboard. I bought him one in third grade, he’s now in sixth and he’s finally accepting that it’s his friend. (www.alphasmart.com)

What hasn’t – A well-meaning occupational therapist with the school district tried placing a weight on his wrist to steady the shaking. It didn’t work at all and was painful! She also tried a contraption made of string that made him hold the pencil differently, also ineffective and very distracting.
 
TO READ THE REST OF THIS BLOG POST, PLEASE GO TO
http://ldparents.blogspot.com/2009/05/shaky-hands.html

GreatSchools has discussion forums where parents can connect and share information, questions and concerns. The following link is for a forum discussion thread where parents are discussing their childrens’ language processing issues:

http://schwablearningforumarchive.greatschools.net/thread/2416.html

GreatSchools is an independent, nonprofit organization that improves education by inspiring parents to get involved. It empowers parents with information and tools so they can choose the best school for their children, support their children’s education and improve schools in their communities. Parents choose GreatSchools to connect with each other – to find the right schools, to share stories and advice, and to get their parenting questions answered. In the past year alone, more than 35 million people visited GreatSchools (www.greatschools.org). With hundreds of thousands of ratings and parent reviews about schools across the country, GreatSchools is the paramount parent-to-parent education community. A Webby award-winning site, GreatSchools is supported by foundations and corporations, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Robertson Foundation, and the Walton Family Foundation. GreatSchools – Involved parents. Successful kids.

GreatSchools has a section of their website dedicated to learning issues:

http://www.greatschools.net/content/specialNeeds.page

GreatSchools.net – The Parent’s Guide to K-12 Success
SchwabLearning.org Parent to Parent Message Board Archive