Typing on a laptop: Embracing Our Limb Differences – Ashlyn | AboutKidsHealth at SickKids

Ashlyn is a young adult with a left brachial plexus birth injury who struggled to type on the keyboard because of the positioning of her forearm and hand. She demonstrates how she overcame this challenge by using her weaker hand to type fewer keys on the keyboard and making her stronger hand in charge of more keys.

The way that you perform school, work and and computer-based tasks is unique to you and your particular hand or arm difference. There are many other ways you can adapt, like Ashlyn.

Watch the Embracing Our Limb Differences library to see how other young people with hand and arm differences perform a variety of daily activities:    • Embracing our limb differences playlist  

To read more about this series, visit AboutKidsHealth: Living with hand and upper limb conditions teens.aboutkidshealth.ca/handlimbconditions

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This video is provided for general information only. It does not replace a diagnosis or medical advice from a healthcare professional who has examined your child and understands their unique needs. Please speak with your doctor to check if the content is suitable for your situation.

Cette vidéo sert à donner des renseignements généraux seulement. Elle ne remplace pas le diagnostic ou les conseils médicaux d'un professionnel de la santé qui a examiné votre enfant et comprend ses besoins uniques. Veuillez consulter votre médecin pour vérifier si le contenu convient à votre situation.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Hi. I'm Ashlyn. I'm 17 years old and I have a left brachial plexus injury.

This is what my arms look down to my side. Out. And above my head.

Today I'm going to be showing you how I type on my laptop.

When I was first learning how to type, I was given a one-handed keyboard typing template and I found that that didn't really work out for me because it was hard to move my hand from side to side on the keyboard or had to stretch too wide to reach one side and then the other side really quickly.  

It's easier for me to type palm side up because it hurts a little bit when I try to rotate my hand or I have to force it over. I let my right hand be in charge of typing the keys on the right and the middle of the keyboard and my left hand, mainly my index and middle finger, be in charge of typing the keys on the left hand side like the q, a, z, w, s, x and sometimes e, 
and all of these keys on the side here. If I'm typing really quickly, and my left hand is too slow to type the 'a' and 's' simultaneously, I might just press the  'a' with one hand and the 's' with the other hand.

This is me typing a normal sentence.

#LimbDifference #BrachialPlexus #BrachialPlexusInjury