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Supporting children with their handwriting is one of the most common reasons for referral to paediatric occupational therapy! This is unsurprising when we remember that handwriting is one of the most complex functional tasks around, and despite the rise in technology, it remains an important skill for kids to learn.
So, what are the most frequently asked questions about handwriting from a paediatric OT’s viewpoint? Well, I clearly can’t speak for every OT in town, but these 7 are my top picks! Here goes…
Q. My child is 9 years old and holds the pencil in a really awkward way. What can I do to encourage a more ‘dynamic tripod’ grasp? Is it too late?
A. Pencil grasp habits can certainly become well established and hard to change quickly. However, a more functional, efficient grasp can lead to less pain, faster writing, and the ability to write for longer without becoming tired.
Three key strategies would be:
1. Pencil grips may be worth trying, or even some ‘blu tac’ wrapped around the pencil and moulded appropriately so that your child has a visual and tactile prompt to remind them where to place their fingers.
2. Working and playing on vertical surfaces will strengthening posture, arm and wrist stability; and
3. A laminated photo of your child holding the pencil well could be stuck to their desk as a visual reminder of what the ideal grip looks like.
Q. At what age or stage is it more beneficial to focus on keyboarding/typing skills rather than handwriting?
A. There is no easy answer to this question. Every situation is unique. Although keyboarding use will usually increase each year throughout a student’s school journey, they will need to maintain (and improve) skills simultaneously. The question of function always remains central. Is writing causing pain or fatigue? Is the writing illegible or too slow to produce? Sometimes, technology will be an appropriate tool for producing written work, and at other times, handwriting will be required. Regardless, an OT consultation could assist in establishing a plan.
Q. I work all day everyday and honestly have very little time with my child after school hours. How can I help them to develop their fine motor skills, without have to battle them constantly to complete fine motor ‘homework’?
A. Organising a fine motor ‘kit’ with lots of different tools and materials is a fabulous idea, or even adding these items to their existing toys. For example: tongs, tweezers, droppers, hole punchers, pencil sharpeners, play dough and cutters/rollers , string/ribbon, pom poms, buttons, beads, lego, stickers, craft bits, etc… Perhaps you could also try encouraging your child to play with these small manipulatives in the bath, car, or whilst waiting at a cafe/doctor’s surgery.
Let’s not forget that fine motor skills also depend on some other, (less fine motor) skills, including core postural strength and control, and a strong sense of body awareness. Therefore, encouraging kids to climb, swing, hang, crawl, and generally use their bodies actively about the playground is also a brilliant idea!
Q. There are lots of pencil grips around, how do I know which one to try, or even if a pencil grip is the answer?
A. An occupational therapist can help to assess and prescribe specific recommendations. However, ‘trial and error’ is a great way to see which grip the child feels most comfortable using and which helps them to achieve the most functional grasp.
Q. My child constantly moves around (cannot sit still), and hates writing. He struggles to sit through the writing exercises in class, and never finishes the work set by teacher on time. What would you suggest?
A. Regular opportunities for deep pressure/ firm touch, ‘heavy work’ (activity involving muscle effort) and movement are vital throughout the day to support kids seeking lots of movement to focus during seated activities. For example, climbing on play equipment, helping to move furniture or hand out workbooks around the class, wiping down the white/black board, jumping jacks, push ups, hand squeezes, a drink from a bottle requiring a strong suck… At the desk, perhaps an air disc cushion (e.g. ‘Move and sit cushion’) on the seat, or Theraband wrapped around the chair legs may be useful to provide movement/pressure during the writing task itself.
Q. I think my child might have Dyslexia. They always reverse their letters, find it extremely difficult to follow dictation, and if I write out their ideas, they copy one letter at a time. What would an OT do to help them?
A. It would make sense to make an appointment for your child to have a thorough assessment with an OT (and perhaps also a speech pathologist), in order to pin point difficulties and establish a plan.
Q. My child is not interested in writing at all. They just want to play! I’m worried they won’t be ready for school. What can I do to help them?
A. Firstly, try to relax! The bulk of writing instruction happens in school. In the meantime, the following environmental ideas may boost the development of the skills underlying handwriting:
- Climbing equipment, swings, hanging bars or trees…
- Plenty of ‘loose parts’ (e.g. small treasures – beads, buttons, rocks, stones, Lego…)
- Lots of different drawing, writing and art materials (textas, pencils, stickers, stamps, string, ribbon,‘fancy’ paper/card, large sheets of paper/cardboard boxes to work off…)
- Various fine motor tools (e.g. tongs, tweezers, chop sticks, pegs, hole punchers, spray bottles, paint brushes, liquid ‘droppers’…)
- Permission to use different areas to play (eg. the back of the door, a section of wall, a fence, under the table, the window, a mirror, the outdoor ground…)
- Free time to make, create, and explore without screens
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I hope you found this article useful! If you’d like to leave a comment, or if you still have a burning question, please feel free to post it below! If you are an OT/OTA what other top FAQs do you come across regularly?
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