‘I Don't Know What's Right and What's Wrong’: Parent Perceptions of Support and Progress of Their Children With Handwriting Difficulties

ABSTRACT For some students, handwriting difficulties persist from primary to secondary school. The aim of this study was to understand parents' perceptions of their child's experience with handwriting and typing. Fifteen parents of children attending secondary schools in England participated in semistructured interviews. These focused on parents' perceptions of the child's handwriting difficulties, their responses to support received for handwriting/typing and their views on the child's use of and progress in handwriting and typing. Audio recordings of the interviews were transcribed to provide data for reflexive thematic analysis. Four main themes were extracted: ‘factors impacting the nature and extent of support’, ‘the impact of handwriting difficulties on their child’, ‘parents' efforts to ensure their child receives appropriate support’ and ‘uncertainty and concern about their child's future’. Parents' perceptions of their child's experience with handwriting/typing provide a new perspective on previously reported views of professionals. Several practical implications arise from the findings including the need for (1) evidence‐based guidance for individualised support for young people with handwriting difficulties, (2) increased resourcing and multidisciplinary collaboration to support children, (3) staff training around handwriting difficulties and (4) a commitment to family‐centred practice in decision‐making around support.