Does anyone out there have trouble typing on the computer. It's ok when I start but my fingers and hands start to get sore and stiff to a point where I have to stop. I find it hard to chat to anyone online because my typing gets slower and slower as the stiffness sets in. It is very annoying. Has anyone any ideas. I'd be very grateful. Thanks.
Hi Fran the Man-I don’t personally, but I’m aware of a software, DragonDictate, that might help. That was a few years ago that I taught it, so there are probably many other options by now. Basically, it’s a speech-recognition software where you wear a headset with a microphone; you speak what you want to write, and the software translates it to typing.
I have this problem too, my job involves mostly writing, and it is really the only part I am still able to do, but my hands get so stiff and painful it makes it very, very difficult. That was actually one of my first signs that something was wrong with me==I also have a very hard time typing correctly and make a lot of mistakes -- hard with work.
Well I find I can type a lot better then writing. But I do hit two keys at a time. My fingers do not get soar. But I do therapy with my hands to keep them going. It does help my writing to. I have puddy and I put beads in it. I flatten it on the table, and I pick the beads out with my fingers. Then I use 3 pound weights and excersize (?) my wrists. Maybe that's why I have no pain. Its just what I do.
Lori
Regarding Lori’s post, it takes much more concentration for me to write; however, I have to say my lowest point writing-wise was when I could’t fit one word on one page AND couldn’t read my own writing…talk about a wah-wah.
Also, I used to do hand exercises by squishing-technical term, I’m sure, theraputty-like Silly Putty, but mine was bright yellow.
Julie mine is bright orange. And really I cant write. I can print a little buts its big. Im going to have to change my signature because I cant sign my name anymore.
Lori
glad to hear others suffer same. My handwriting is terrible but so's my typing!!!
I have stiffness in my fingers after a while with typing sometimes too.
I do some typing everyday though and use it as exercises for them. I don’t type as fast as I used to but because of that I focus on doing some daily. If I don’t the stiffness gets worse, and I don’t want that to happen.
I also strech my hands out a lot with Yoga and work on building up their strength so I have to purposely use them in more challenging situations thought my day before I need to use them for more detailed things. I never know when I will have to depend on them and want to be ready when I need to.
Thanks for all the replies. I just get so annoyed with my typing sometimes, Like Lori said, you hitting two keys at a time or your just missing the keys altogether. I used to be so good at the keyboard before. And then like so many of you have said our writing has got so bad even a child in kinder garden could do better some days.
Yeah, by "writing" I actually meant typing. It is definitely making it extremely difficult to do my job. Everything takes twice as long, and I get too much wrong. It's okay for something like writing on a forum, but not for trying to get grants/ do reports ( which is my job )
Hi Julie A, That sounds like a great device, but would it be able to understand my speech. As you know with us ataxians my speech is slurred and even people find it hard to understand what I'm saying, which is one of the main reasons I stopped going out unless I have to. But I'm sure it would help a lot of others.
Julie A. said:
Hi Fran the Man-I don't personally, but I'm aware of a software, DragonDictate, that might help. That was a few years ago that I taught it, so there are probably many other options by now. Basically, it's a speech-recognition software where you wear a headset with a microphone; you speak what you want to write, and the software translates it to typing.
you can get keyguards, keyboards with larger keys and software to predict the next words you want to type also if your speech is not clear enough for software such as Dragon Dictate.
A joystick or trackball with on-screen keyboard maybe easier to use than a mouse.
I use the software, Dragon naturally speaking. You can basically speaking the computer to control everything. I use a combination of Dragon, mouse and keyboard to type and move around on a webpage, I'm using Dragon right now. I hear the new version is much better I'm using version 11. I speech is bad and it recognizes my speech patterns by doing training. It has been very helpful in answering e-mails if I need a lot to talk about.
I changed over from a lap top to a computer as my hands kept making mistakes.My fingers are like sausages and although my cognitiive skills are ok my fingers do their own thing!!Lots of editing and mistakes.Takes twice as long wheras pre ataxia I typed fast.
I use word prediction and a keyguard, often I only need to press first one or two letters of a word and it predicts it and the next words so more often I'm only pressing numbers 1-5 along the top. I can also save abbreviations for common sentences/explanations to bring them up straightaway with 2-3 keypresses. It's made things much easier.
http://www.bigkeys.co.uk/neurone.asp
Big Keys keyboards provide some helpful keyboards, differentiated for different disabilities.
In my view all these things would be easier to manage, if the state would provide for a writing aid/assistance for some hours a day, just as needed.
There are existing a lot of people who never write their own correspondence, but for whom this is written by a secretary. Some people also never clean their appartment themselves or do the cooking. Even "non handicapped" ones. I personnally would like very much to have such assistences!. In my life in attorneys offices i never had to write by myself. In some sence i have been disabled all the time, because i would need such a help, because my mind and speech are better than my writing, having difficulties to "bring out" contents.....