Many children enter pediatric
occupational therapy to improve their ability in accomplishing writing
assignments in school. Among the things that the therapy may help them with is holding
writing instruments properly, applying the correct amount of pressure on
writing instruments, forming letters correctly, and properly judging spacing
and placement on paper . These are collectively referred to as graphomotor skills.
Some children get frustrated when
taking notes because they can't write as quickly as other students. They may
display sloppy penmanship or complain of hand pain when writing for an extended
period of time. In many cases, they need to write slowly in order to maintain
legible penmanship.
There are many exercises that are
used to help children overcome difficulties with writing, but some of the best
tools are also the simplest.
- Add a pencil grip to the
child's writing instruments to help them maintain the proper grip and
apply the right amount of pressure.
- Talk with the child's school to
create a learning plan. They may need extra time to complete essay
assignments or tests with intensive writing requirements. In some cases,
children perform better when test questions are read aloud to them.
- Allow the child to keep a chart displaying the proper letter forms on his desk or in a notebook for easy reference.
School is more difficult for children struggling to present
ideas in writing legibly and quickly, but many children improve with consistent
therapy.
