Handwriting Treatment

Purpose

To provide sensory-motor-based fine motor and strengthening activities to develop and promote handwriting skills.

Hand Writing Groups

The Occupational Therapists provide one-to-one and group intervention for handwriting skill development. Individual treatment sessions consist of an initial evaluation and individualized treatment plan. Handwriting groups are divided into three levels as follows. Groups are further reviewed on our Group Programs insert and the costs are subsidized by a grant from the University of Michigan Dance Marathon.

Pre-Handwriting Skills

Recommended for the pre-K child ages 4-5. This developmentally based group develops pre-writing skills for kindergarten readiness. The goal of the group is to develop foundation skills in the areas of motor, sensory, social, cognitive and visual perception. Emphasis is on developing good writing habits. Crayon skills, pre-strokes, shapes, letters and numbers are introduced.

Basic Handwriting

Recommended for the child who can recognize letters. The purpose of this group is to develop good printing habits and skills using a multi-sensory approach. Emphasis is on letter recognition and formation, starting with capital letters and numbers and progressing when ready.

Intermediate Handwriting Grades 1-3

A quick review of upper- and lower-case printing. Emphasis is on progressing to cursive writing using a multi-sensory approach.

Individual Treatment

Recommended for the child who may need one-to-one instruction that can not be provided in a group setting. Individual treatment addresses the same skills noted above without the group component.

This program assists:

• Children, ages 4 and above, just beginning to use crayons
• Children who need practice, in addition to a school program
• Any child who demonstrates weak hand intrinsic muscle strength
• Any child needing additional sensory input for increasing body awareness and/or proximal strength needed for maintaining upright seated posture required for handwriting and fine motor seated activities

Benefits

• Improve hand intrinsic strength
• Improve grip strength and prehension
• Activity suggestions for home and school implementation
• Improve body awareness needed for proper sitting posture