How can Occupational Therapists help with writing Skill Development?

Occupational therapy is a client-centered profession that promotes health and well-being through occupation. The primary goal of occupational therapy is to help you participate in the meaningful activities of daily life, including self-care skills, work, daily living skills, and social interaction with peer groups. Occupational therapists work with people to encourage physical and psychological functioning.

How Do Children Progress In Handwriting Skills through Occupational Therapy?

As kids progress to early elementary years, they strengthen their letter formation skills. They start learning about the placement of lowercase letters with others. Children learn to write within a small space and learn about spacing with words and sentences.

Good handwriting comprises two basic elements:

i. Pencil Grip: Children must hold their pencils using some grips. The grip allows adequate movements at their thumb and finger joints and the upper extremity.

ii. Motor Control: It includes two things:

• Posture: Children must sit in the correct posture for good handwriting. Ensure that the feet are flat on the floor, with a straight back, and arms resting comfortably on the desk at a 90-degree angle.
• Pressure: Children need to offer the right amount of pressure while writing. Very dark writing, heavy indents on the next page, and fatigue of the children’s hands and fingers are the signs that a child is applying too much pressure while writing. On the other hand, without enough pressure, the writing will be too light, making it difficult to read.

How Can Occupational Therapists Help Your Child With Writing Skills?

The art of writing requires a combination of fine motor skills and visual perception skills. Occupational therapists assess and address a child’s fine motor skills, including the way they use their hands and fingers and the strength in them. The professionals focus on a child’s visual motor skills, which is the simultaneous use of hands and eyes to execute tasks.

Besides, they also look for the child’s bilateral hand skills, which refers to the ability to use both hands together. OTs also take into account if the child can sit still, hold the body upright at a tabletop, and their ability to focus on the task of writing.

How do Occupational Therapists Work on the Fine Motor?

OTs engage children in developing fine motor skills through fun activities and play to engage all their senses, often referred to as multi-sensory learning. Often OTs use playdoh clay to roll and squish to get your child's fingers and hands moving. They use various textures and crafts to develop the strength and movement of children’s little hands.

Furthermore, they execute plans to improve writing skills in children with ADHD, Autism, Learning Disabilities, and other disorders. Goals to improve handwriting skills include:

• Improving hand dominance
• Improving muscle strength of hand
• Improving eye-hand coordination and
• Improving pacing and timing of tasks.

Why Choose Kick Start Therapy?

The quest for neater handwriting can be easy. At Kick Start Therapy, we have in-house occupational therapists who support your child with handwriting evaluations and testing to determine why your child struggles with handwriting. They develop effective strategies to support developing and improving your child’s handwriting. One licensed OTs offer one-on-one therapy targeted to your child’s requirements.