Handwriting Help

Handwriting
Mindy Markowitz, OTR/L
Why do we care about havine: an
efficient writine: grasp?
• It influences handwriting speed and legibility.
• Intrinsic muscle control is maximized.
• The pencil grips of Special Needs children.
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Developmental Milestones for
Handwriting
• Development encompasses many skills.
• Motivation
• Cognition
• Sensory perception
• Motor planning
• Neuromuscular development
• Temporal requirement of task
• Developmental sequences must be experienced by
children.
Grip Patterns and Writine- Utensils
• l<inesthetic input to the hand.
• Developtnent of a hand preference or
dotninance.
• Fluctuation of 1 or tnore grip patterns until a
dotninance is established.
Which writine implement do ~ou use
for your child?
• "Rule of thutnb" - if it's too heavy for you to
use, it also will be for your child.
• Use of a tnediutn width or large width pencil.
• Nutnber 4 leaded pencils.
• Texture pencils that provide sensory input.
• 2" -3" crayons for encouraging an efficient grip.
Sittinp Position and Posture
• Encourage sitting upright!!!
• Feet should be flat on the floor.
• Hips should be at a 90 degree angle.
• Table or desk should be about waist height.
Incline Boards
• What types of incline board are available?
• Incline board: Advantages and disadvantages.
• Which type of student would benefit?
• Reverse loose-leaf binders: More functional and
practical.
Pencil Grippers
• "The
. Pencil Grip" and "Stetro" - most commonly used
gr1ppers.
• Advantages and disadvantages to using a pencil gripper.
• Triangular pencil grip: If it's to wide for you to use, it is
too for a child to use.
• Gel grippers for providing sensory input.
When should an OT be called in?
• Any child who
.. detnonstrates a questionable grip
or artn pOSition.
• During a screening the OT will:
• Analyze the pencil grip.
• Amount of pressure upon writing or coloring.
• Grading
of the force and speed of the coloring or
...
writing motion.
• Assess proximal shoulder stability and resulting
distal hand control movements.
Activities to encourage good
handwriting
• KEEP IT
FUN!!!!!
• Use colored pencils, tnarkers, crayons to peak
the child's interest.
• Utilize the child's creativity by tnaking a fun
birthday card for a friend or relative.
• Use play activities for writing.
When writine for
homework or school
• Encourage the "writing rules."
• Top to bottotn; left to right letter fortnation.
• Target. the top and bottotn lines; as well as
tnargtns.
• Tall letters need to be tall; short letters need
to be short.
• Please use a sharpened pencil for tnaxitnutn
letter fortnation.
• Make sure the student has a clean eraser.
Conclusion -
I
• Children develop grasp patterns best rvhen
provided with a sequence of
develop111entally appropriate activities!!!
• Encourage thetn to develop the tnost efficient
grasp pattern possible to thetn.
• At sotne developtnental point, a final grip
pattern will develop and retnain consistent.
• People
with inefficient grips can functionally
.
wr1te.
Conclusion - II
• Adaptive grasp patterns and grippers tnay be
needed for children of Special Needs.
• Noone ever stopped writing due to having an
inefficient pencil grip.
• Fatnous stars with inefficient pencil grips:
.Drew Carey
.Russell Crowe
Conclusion - III
- Famous "Lefties"
-Julia Roberts
-Matthew Broderick