Overstimulating Reading
Just as lines and lines of math problems can run together for your child, lines and lines of words can be intimidating, too. The problem might not be as noticeable when your child is younger and books have bigger print, whiter pages, and larger spaces, but as she moves on in school and reading material gets more complex, she may very easily lose her way.
One solution is similar to that used for math worksheets. Use a bookmark or piece of paper to underline one line at a time. The store Really Good Stuff is a teacher supply store that offers bookmarks with clear yellow film along one edge to highlight a single line of text, and these may also be useful to improve visual processing. If necessary, a window can be cut out of an index card and used to highlight a few words at a time. Large type books might also be a good option to try.
Reading Aloud
For children who find the sight of words overwhelming, the sound of words is a useful alternative. Don't stop reading to your child once he's old enough to read for himself. You can try taking turns with your child, reading one page and letting him read the next, or alternating paragraphs. Use a bookmark or piece of paper to underline the lines of type as you read so that your child gets the connection between the written word and the heard one.
Try reading anything your child finds overstimulating or distracting into a tape recorder so she can have the extra dimension of auditory input to help her sort through it. This can be helpful with textbooks, reading books, class notes, and research material. You may be able to set your computer to read the words off of Web sites to guide your child through those busy and content-packed pages. It may also help your child to instruct her to read things out loud to herself when she's studying in private.
The Write Stuff
Words in print may not be the only problem for your child — printing words can be tough as well. Difficulty judging the distance between lines on the page can cause words and letters to bob around, while difficulty judging the distance between letters and words can make your child's writing a jumble.
If your child can't see what's wrong but only hears people tell him again and again that he has to be neater, he's likely to feel frustrated and give up. Instead, try increasing the sensory input of the job by using paper with raised lines so your child can feel the pencil hitting a boundary. Paper with larger spaces between lines and thicker lines might help as well.
Professional catalogs with products for occupational therapists are good places to find writing tools for your child, like paper with lines that are raised, spread apart, or shaded to help your child see where to write. The following three offer products online:
Consider allowing your child alternatives to writing by hand. A portable AlphaSmart computer is an accommodation that may be available to your child for taking notes in class. Some schools provide them for students, but you can also buy one direct from the manufacturer's website. Learning to type is sometimes a good alternative to spending stressful time on printing and handwriting. A program like Read, Write & Type!, available online, will help your child pick up keyboard skills and also strengthen phonics awareness.
