Keyboarding Instruction for a Japanese Child With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Dysgraphia Reduced Frustration in Handwriting: A Case Report

Dysgraphia often goes unnoticed in schools, leading to delayed academic development and diminished self-esteem for affected students. This case report provides keyboarding instruction to a nine-year-old Japanese boy diagnosed with dysgraphia and observes its impact on his writing performance, including speed, accuracy, and composition, and mental burden. The patient was diagnosed with dysgraphia and refusal to write at school. We conducted an initial assessment to confirm dysgraphia and identify the student's reluctance to write in a school setting. Subsequently, we administered keyboarding instruction sessions two to three times a month, each lasting 20-40 minutes. These sessions emphasized typing skills and keyboard shortcuts. We assessed the mental burden associated with handwriting and keyboarding using a visual analog scale (VAS). We also tracked his keyboarding speed across sessions to monitor his progress. VAS scores were clearly lower for keyboard input compared to handwriting. His keyboarding speed improved with each session, eventually surpassing his handwriting speed. Keyboarding enhanced accuracy, reduced errors and revisions, and showed superior kanji ability. Our findings suggest that keyboarding instruction can alleviate frustration and foster positive learning attitudes among Japanese children with dysgraphia. This report underscores the feasibility and effectiveness of implementing keyboarding as an intervention for students with dysgraphia, potentially decreasing their frustration and enhancing their participation in classroom activities. The progressive improvement in keyboarding speed highlights the importance of continued practice and support for achieving better educational outcomes.