handwriting

[Tom Riess <74244.1521@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

For handwriting problems which are not  a result of tremor I have found
that  the following works for many pwp although it is somewhat slow and
cumbersome.  
First of all one must print and secondly one must form letters in a
non-usual manner.   For example a "T" is usually drawn by making a vertical
line top to bottom and then a horizontal line left to right.  A non-usual 
"T" is drawn bottom to top for the vertical line and then right to left for
the horizontal line.  Printing in this fashion will produce legible
letters.  

Why does this work?  Here's my speculation.   A fundamental impairment in
PD is simultaneous task performance.  How many of us can't walk and carry
on a conversation at the same time.  Writing is a simultaneous task
activity i.e. one must form the syntax of what one is expressing while at
the same time form the letters themselves.  Non-usual printing forces one's
attention to focus more  on the act of drawing the letters at the expense
of paying attention to the syntax.    A similar mechanism occurs in speech.

regards,

Tom