Wondering how to teach an autistic child to write? I get asked about this topic again and again. I have worked on teaching children to write with autism at my learning center and I’ve also coached hundreds of families to build writing skills at home with their little ones too.
In order to teach autistic students to write, it is necessary to use different tools and techniques than when teaching their neurotypical peers. It is crucial to adapt your teaching strategies when creating a plan to teach an autistic child to write. Download your Free Printable Handwriting Workbook for Children with Autism to get the most out of this post.
If you are looking for activities to help your child or students learn new skills, get your copy of the Autism Activities Workbook Bundle.
How to Teach an Autistic Child to Write
1. Teach pointing
Pointing is an essential prerequisite skill for handwriting.
One of my favorite tools to build pointing skills is to make a pointing book.
Download your Free Printable Handwriting Workbook for Children with Autism!
2. Build hand strength
In order to hold and control a pen or pencil to write something, it is essential to build hand strength.
Some activities that build hand strength are
- rolling, squeezing or kneading play dough, (I love TheraPutty)
- using tweezers or tongs in sensory play
- squeezing glue bottles
- popping bubble wrap
- squeezing clothespins
- using spray bottles
- using stress balls (I love these —)
Get more 35 more hand strength building ideas here.
3. Build prerequisite fine motor skills
Building fine motor skills is an essential prerequisite skill for teaching writing to autistic children.
There are many fun and simple ways to build fine motor skills.
4. Follow special interests to teach writing
Children with autism tend to have what we call “special interests”. “Special interests” are any subjects of interest that autistic kids are particularly passionate about. These can be as varied as trains (one of the special interests I see the most!), airplanes, the color green, bridges, birds or anything else you can think of!
Download your Free Printable Handwriting Workbook for Children with Autism!
5. Practice finger “writing”
Another way to build prerequisite writing skills is to have fun with finger “writing”.
A simple way to set this up is to set out a simple shoe box with some kinetic sand in it. Guide your little learner to create letters with his or her finger.
Alternatively, you can do the same activity using rice. I love this rainbow rice!
Download your Free Printable Handwriting Workbook for Children with Autism!
6. Have your child pop bubbles in the air with his or her finger
Building eye-hand coordination is a prerequisite skill for writing. Work on this essential prerequisite skill to writing by blowing bubbles up into the air and having your autistic child pop the bubbles with his or her finger.
7. Engage in playful sky “writing”
Sky writing is a fun and simple way to build eye-hand coordination too.
Have your little one “write” letters in the sky.
8. Teach pencil grasp (practice, jumbo grip)
When working on pencil grasp, make sure you give your little learners the physical support they need
These are some of my favorite tools to teach pencil grip
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9. Start with simple imitation (drawing a line, a square, a circle)
I’ve included shape printables to work on simple drawings in the free printable Handwriting Workbook for Children with Autism below.
Download your Free Printable Handwriting Workbook for Children with Autism!
10. Model handwriting using videos
Videos are a fabulous tool for teaching new skills through a process called “modeling”.
Show your child or student with autism what he or she needs to do to write with an educational video.
Letter writing videos (perfect for kids with autism)
This is an animated videos that I like to use but you can also use a video with real people.
Related : Get your free number tracing worksheets for kids with autism
11. Model handwriting with photos
Similarly, use real photos to model handwriting for autistic children.
I’ve included 4 photos of children writing that you can use as visual prompts to teach writing to children with autism in my free printable Handwriting Workbook for Children with Autism.
12. Use repetition to teach writing skills (make writing a part of regular learning sessions at home, school and in therapy)
Repetition is key to learning with all kids, and especially kids on the autism spectrum!
In order to make progress, you’ll need to do activities again and again.
Even once new skills are acquired, it is essential to have what I call a “maintenance program” where you continue reviewing and re-doing the same activities on a schedule over time to avoid the child losing the new skill.
I made this free handwriting workbook for you!
Download your Free Printable Handwriting Workbook for Children with Autism!
13. Streamline learning by decreasing distractions
Another essential element for teaching autistic children is to decrease distractions in their work environment when they’re learning to write.
Prioritize a clean, distraction-free environment that is simple, organized and free of clutter.
14. Provide regular reinforcement
Reinforcement is essential when teaching any new skill to autistic learners. It is important to make learning activities fun and to reinforce any and all efforts in the right direction, towards learning goals.
Choosing reinforcement for your little learner will depend on what they love. To best understand, you’ll need to figure out what makes them tick. If you are struggling to figure out what that is, you will benefit from my taking my course the Successful Interaction with a Child with Autism course that walks you through positive reinforcement, what it is and how to use it to teach your child or students.
Download your Free Printable Handwriting Workbook for Children with Autism!
15. Make it fun
Use an upbeat tone of voice, choose fun activities to teach writing skills and use positive reinforcement (as I described earlier) to make learning to write and fun and rewarding as possible.
How to Teach an Autistic Child to Write
I hope you find these writing tips helpful for teaching your little one with autism to write.
More Autism Resources
- The Successful Interaction with a Child with Autism Course – learn to better understand your autistic child or students with this complete course.
- Autism Activities Workbook Bundle – build communication skills, fine motor skills, sensory play skills and daily living skills, while helping your child or students to successfully manage any difficult behaviors, with these fun, educational, printable activities.
- Sensory Communication Workbook – Build communication skills with simple sensory activities.
- How to Make a Communication Binder Guide & Workbook – Learn how to create a Communication Binder for your child or student with autism using real photos. Follow my expert guide to learn how to use it to increase communication skills.
- Autism Adapted Books Bundle – a collection of 10 adapted books that will help you build communication skills while teaching more than 120 vocabulary words.
- Autism Social Stories Bundle – a collection of printable social stories to help your little learners work on their social skills.
- Zoo Animals Play Dough Mats Bundle – use these printable play dough mat to work on the names of the animals, build language skills, and increase fine motor strength and precision in a fun, sensory way!
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