

Many people with cerebral palsy have a difficult time writing due to limitations in muscular function, fine motor control, joint function, and range of motion. Fortunately, there are many types of assistive tools and technologies that can help people with cerebral palsy to write with greater ease. These can be broken down into a few categories:
Help With Grip and Muscle Fatigue
People with cerebral palsy often struggle with grasping small objects, and experience hand fatigue and pain when they use traditional writing utensils. Fortunately, there are many affordable tools that are easier to grasp, make writing more comfortable, and help the user to safely strengthen their hand muscles. Some examples include:
Help With Typing
Typing can also be a challenge for people with fine motor skill impairments, because computer keys are small and can be difficult to press. BigKeys LX ($159-179) keyboards are designed so that each key is larger and therefore easier to press. They also have an “assist mode” which is helpful for people who are unable to press more than one button at once.
Help With Postural Stability
Spending hours hunched over a desk to write can result in bad posture. This is especially true for people with cerebral palsy, who are prone to muscle tightening and postural issues. Moreover, difficulty maintaining postural stability can result in poor handwriting. There are a couple of items that can help create a better posture for writing:
Hands-Free Writing
Some people with cerebral palsy have more severe difficulties with muscle control, and simple devices to improve grip, provide stability, or help with posture will not be of much use. However, there are forms of of assistive technology that can allow them to write without using their hands. Here are two examples:
People with cerebral palsy have a wide variety of needs when it comes to writing. Some of these can be met with inexpensive devices that can make writing easier and more comfortable. Others may need to invest in forms of technology that, though expensive, can drastically change one’s quality of life. To explore more options, check out ABLEDATA, a government-sponsored compilation of different types of assistive devices.
The list of products above is intended to be only a general educational resource. We do not endorse individual vendors, products, or services. We recommend that you read reviews, consult your doctor, or ask other users for their opinions before purchasing an item off this list.
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