Accommodations for Students with Dysgraphia

In addition to targeted instruction, accommodations provide the student with dysgraphia effective and equitable access to grade-level or course instruction in the general education classroom. Accommodations are not a one size fits all; rather, the impact of dysgraphia on each individual student determines the accommodation. When considering accommodations for the student with dysgraphia, consider the following:  

• The rate of producing written work 

• The volume of the work to be produced 

• The complexity of the writing task 

• The tools used to produce the written product 

• The format of the product (Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, 2018, p. 5). 

Listed below are examples of reasonable classroom accommodations for a student with dysgraphia based on the above considerations:  

• Allow more time for written tasks including note taking, copying, and tests 

• Reduce the length requirements of written assignments 

• Provide copies of notes or assign a note taking buddy to assist with filling in missing information 

• Allow the student to audio record important assignments and/or take oral tests 

• Assist student with developing logical steps to complete a writing assignment instead of all at once 

• Allow the use of technology (e.g., speech to text software, etc.) 

• Allow the student to use cursive or manuscript, whichever is most legible and efficient 

• Allow the student to use graph paper for math, or to turn lined paper sideways, to help with lining up columns of numbers 

• Offer an alternative to a written project such as an oral report, dramatic presentation, or visual media project  

For more information about accommodations, see At a Glance: Classroom Accommodations for Dysgraphia, available at https://www.understood.org/articles/at-a-glance-classroom-accommodations-for-dysgraphia  

Access to Instructional Materials for Students with Disabilities 

Accessible instructional materials (AIM) are textbooks and related core instructional materials that have been converted into specialized formats (e.g., Braille, audio, digital text, or large print) for students who are blind or have low vision, have a physical disability, or have a reading disability such as dyslexia. Digital books or text-to-speech functions on computers and mobile devices provide access to general education curriculum for students with dyslexia. Bookshare and Learning Ally provide electronic access to digitally recorded materials for students with print disabilities. TEA provides links to these resources as well as other accessible instructional materials for students with disabilities at https://tea.texas.gov/academics/instructional-materials/state-adopted-instructional-materials/accessible-instructional-materials.