Summer break has ended, and school is back in session. After a few months off, it’s normal for your child struggle a bit with getting back into the swing of things. One challenge many children face when returning to school is their handwriting. For some it can go right back to normal but for others they need some help with handwriting and regaining that skill. Did you know that occupational therapy at PediaPlex can help with handwriting skills?
Many people don’t realize just how important handwriting is or how much work actually goes into writing a normal sentence or paragraph. Any time you pick up a pen or pencil and start writing you are using visual coordination, core strength, fine motor skills, and hand strength. Wow! It’s no wonder why after a few months your child’s handwriting can start to decline if they aren’t consistently working on it.
There are so many different reasons why a child can be struggling with their handwriting, so it’s important to figure out the root of the issue so that you can determine a plan of action. Some common examples are holding their pencil incorrectly due to poor hand or grip strength, not ever being taught proper letter formations, just rushing to finish an assignment, or even struggling with visual-motor skills.
A common question we get asked is how to know if your child’s handwriting is an actual concern for occupational therapy or if it is something they can just work through while in school. Here are a few ways to determine if your child might benefit from occupational therapy for help with handwriting:
-Is it sloppy and/or illegible?
-How does it compare to peers/siblings their age?
-Is it inconsistent?
-Do they avoid writing tasks?
If your child has consistently sloppy handwriting, difficulty forming letters or numbers, or experiences trouble holding a pencil then they might benefit from receiving occupational therapy services. Because so many different factors play a part in your child’s handwriting, it’s important to get to the source of the problem. With an evaluation we can assess several different areas and determine why your child might be struggling with handwriting – and whether it’s related to a reading or writing disorder like dyslexia or dysgraphia.
Our PediaPlex locations in Frisco, Fort Worth, and Southlake all offer occupational therapy services and can help your child work on their handwriting skills. Did you know that there are a variety of other skills that we can work on in occupational therapy? OT can work on fine motor skills, visual motor skills, self-care skills, and gross motor skills. We currently are offering virtual services as well so that you and your child can receive your therapy services directly from the comfort of your own home.
If you are interested in occupational therapy services at PediaPlex, you can visit our website for more information!
-The PediaPlex Family
All photos were obtained with informed consent.
