Now that Charlie is doing 48 piece online puzzles with a click of the mouse, I suppose it is time to work on using the keyboard. Here is an online Etch-A-Sketch: You can “draw” by using the arrow keys.
The occupational therapist at Charlie’s school noted that they have been teaching him to type with his two index fingers. I noted that he uses all ten fingers to play the piano and that, while Charlie has been taught to use his right hand since he was toddler, he is sometimes more dexterous with his left hand and uses all of his fingers with ease. (Until he started playing piano, Charlie had never really used the smallest finger of his right hand, and that finger is weak, muscle-wise.) And his ABA therapist pointed out to me, Charlie stands on his left leg to ride his scooter and pushes off with his right.
I am positing that Charlie is ambidextrous.
I’m 24 and still waiting for hand dominance. Or steady hand dominance…I’m ambidextrous with the hand that has “the edge” changing every 10 days or so, give or take a week, and it differs for different tasks.
And gymnastics, OY. Heh. I think I drive my coaches nuts.
Ails, I bought the software a while ago—-our school district uses it for autistic students and other students. I really like how Charlie’s piano teacher has taught him to learn to play the keyboard (both-handed……) and I’m trying to think of how to transfer that method—-if one had more time… Daisy, very good to hear from a mom/special ed teacher/piano teacher!
I wonder how many people who are somewhere on the autism spectrum are also ambidextrous.
I use Type to Learn at school with my students (grades 4-6, regular ed.). My son, a blind student, learned to type using that software, too. I agree with you about the piano-keyboarding skills transferring. (speaking as a former piano teacher)
I think Patrick is ambidextrous as well. He leans a tiny bit left so we are slightly encouraging left handedness with printing on paper but otherwise we’re letting him go with what works for him. He has the added twist of a brachial plexus injury to his right arm since birth.
I agree that if Charlie can play the piano he can also type with all 10 fingers.
You’ve also got Patrick and I into online puzzles. He love them!
Leave it to the school to undo any progress you make at home… Opps! Did I say that out loud?
My guy was ambidextrous as a child but now favors his left hand as an adult. He is still somewhat ambidextrous but not as much (I am also ambidextrous with many things). The school wanted to force my son to become right handed saying that he needed to pick one hand to be dominant to help with his integration (sensory?), but I said “why not the left?” since he favored it more.
Seems to me that it would cause a child more duress to force them to become dominant before they’re ready or with the opposite hand that they naturally favor.
Oops sorry about that, I hope you get it all sorted out soon, methought you’d try out the trial version first to get the feel of it, but no matter once you get it going it’ll be fine.
I also tried that puzzle, mind boggling visual spatial skills there, him learning to type will be a cinch. Way to go Charlie (and you of course).
Good day.
Ails
Ails
Thanks for the links! Stepmania looks dangerously fun…… I’ve looked into Type to Learn, bought the downloadable version, and have not been able to open the file (or had time to call customer service). ails, I will give it another try!
Cool. I was just looking for a typing tutor program for our guy.
Kristina, as Charlie is musical, you might consider hooking him up with Stepmania. (http://www.stepmania.com/wiki/Downloads) Our guy is totally into this. This is like the DDR games you see in the arcades (if you go to arcades) where people dance in time to moving arrows. Anyway, you can do it with your keyboard, using just the arrow keys. Levels go from very simple to insanely difficult. You can even import your own songs and edit the arrow sequences. So basically you are listening to music and pressing arrow keys to the beat along with instructions on the screen.
Why stick to just two fingers when he can use all right and I think Charlie definitely can use all fingers to type correctly .
If you think he’s ready for typing try letting him use this TYPE TO LEARN 3 software by Sunburst Technology. It’s what my son ReyMey used to learn and it might work for Charlie. It has lots of games to make it fun— Travelling & using car wipers will never be the same again.
There’s a 30-day free trial and an online demo if you want to see how it works. Please do check it out, am just not sure if they have Mac version, unless you already have another teaching tool planned already.
Anyway, Either way, it’s going to be so much fun you’ll see. It will be great! Cheers.
http://www.sunburst.com