Is writing notation actually REQUIRED in tournaments?

That's right. The USCF rules permit writing the move first. They tried to change that, but TDs said they would not enforce the change, and the new rule (conforming to FIDE standards) was abandoned.

See https://www.uschess.org/content/view/6270/325/

I had taught children to write the move first, then check it before moving. I changed my practice even though the USCF continued to allow writing the move first.

That is interesting.

I grew up writing the move first and then doing a " blunder check " before actually playing the move on the board . This habit kept me from making quite a few blunders . In fact FIDE used to allow you to write the move first too and some chess books I have by soviet GMs even recommended doing it that way .  Personally I dont see why its a problem either way ?  

It can be seen as a) distracting or b) cheating (some may see it as making note or analyzing.

Even when the TDs don't get involved, the scoresheets sometimes come in handy for the players to double check the position. I had a game just today at a tournament where my opponent accidentally swatted his king down with the back of his hand while moving a different piece. We were both looking at it like "I think it was on b6, but maybe it was on b7". So we both looked over our scoresheets to find the last move by the black king to confirm which square it was on, and then continued with the game once we got it sorted out.

Ah, I wondered if I misunderstood your post

Really? You cannot notate the moves because of autism? How did you finish your school tests?

I wish 30 sec increments were used in all otb time controls slow enough to require the players to keep score so that neither player can ever stop keeping score , even when short of time .   I won't hold my breath however ... 

If you keep writing "notation" on your scoresheet, you may be disqualified for taking notes. You're not supposed to write anything other than the notation

well I don't want my opponent to blunder check. plus it annoys me if an opponent writes a move and then erases it and writes another move and erases it so on. if we allow that we might as well give the opponent a second board where he can make analysis on.

As I understand it, you may also write the time.

In Canada most tournaments have a 30 second increment, and it does help with the writing down of the moves. It's also discourages the playing of the clock, not the position.

@MSteen Writing "the time" after every move might be a problem but writing the time after every move would usually be okay- I do it myself

That is not open-minded to see things from other people perspective other than name calling them there is often more than one side to a thing.

I'm pretty sure that's actually the rule, even in USCF tournaments. If you're using paper and pencil, you can write down the move before making it. If you're using a Monroi, you MUST move first, for exactly the reason you said.

Correct. The variation I posted about is for paper scoresheets only.

I know you don't play under USCF rules, but in that instance, the TD could warn the player under the notes provision and continued changes like that can be penalized. That is something that is mentioned as a TD tip for the USCF.

You are all giving some great information. I never thought my simple question would cause a full scale conversation lol.

Why don't we get, like, an electronic chess board, with sensors on each square, and so that notations could be registered automatically?

Imagine this: a computer would process the information from the sensors in order to determine which move was played. It would figure out which sensor has ceased to detect a piece, and figure that that was the piece that was moved; then, it would find a new detection in one of the sensors, determine which one, and figure that the piece taken a few seconds earlier was the one that was now placed there.

Then, the computer would analyse the move and the chess board as a whole, in order to determine whether or not the move was legal. If it found that it wasn't, it would beep, and the player would be forced to restore the piece back to its position and play again. If it were legal, it would register the move electronically, and one would be able to review all of them after the game.

We could also plant, along with the sensors in each square, magnets in each square and in the bottom of each piece: that way, we wouldn't have to worry about ‘adjusting’ any misplaced piece, whilst claiming ‘J'adoube!’

Wouldn't that be so cool? And wouldn't it fix the problem of the inconvenience of having to take note of all moves?

Wow! That must have been awesome!

Well, clearly, we have the technology. Maybe someday I can figure out a way to build something like that myself!