Occupational Therapy
At Learning Charms (Charlotte, NC) , our occupational therapists specialize in fine motor, executive functioning, handwriting, praxis (motor planning), and kindergarten readiness. Learning to love handwriting and fine motor activities can, and should be fun!
Is your child frustrated or anxious about activities requiring fine motor, gross motor, planning, or attentional skills? O.T. helps otherwise bright, capable children unscramble the minor glitches that keep them from realizing their full potential.
What is occupational therapy? Occupational Therapists (OT's) specialize in assisting people with the everyday activities of life ("occupations") that make it productive and meaningful. In the pediatric setting, the OT's goals would normally include improving daily life tasks and routines such as: sleeping, eating, learning, playing, relating, and developing, as well as the complex activities needed for academic success at school.
- Miller, Lucy Jane (2006), Sensational Kids, Hope and Help for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD).
Is your child frustrated or anxious about activities requiring fine motor, gross motor, planning, or attentional skills? O.T. helps otherwise bright, capable children unscramble the minor glitches that keep them from realizing their full potential.
What is occupational therapy? Occupational Therapists (OT's) specialize in assisting people with the everyday activities of life ("occupations") that make it productive and meaningful. In the pediatric setting, the OT's goals would normally include improving daily life tasks and routines such as: sleeping, eating, learning, playing, relating, and developing, as well as the complex activities needed for academic success at school.
- Miller, Lucy Jane (2006), Sensational Kids, Hope and Help for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD).
Your child may benefit from occupational therapy if any of these are true:
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A word about..
...boys + fine motor skills
“When I worked as a school based occupational therapist, 80% of the population I served was boys. I heard so many parents say that their son was not good at fine motor skills. Upon observing and consulting with teachers, I found that the boys often are more interested in gross motor activities (running and jumping) than sitting down and drawing or cutting. If a child spends more time engaging in a task, then the child will master the task at a faster pace. However, if the child is not motivated to perform the task, then they will not engage it it. Does this ring true to anyone? The longer the child does not participate in fine motor activity then the further behind they may get. Most children also realize that others are doing more (are better at drawing than them) and become more resistive to performing the activity. Many children will even become tearful when having to perform fine motor activities that they perceive as difficult. The earlier you get your child to start engaging in appropriate fine motor tasks, the sooner he will be ready for the fine motor demands of kindergarten.“---- Stephanie Wick, OT/L
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...girls + fine motor skills + handwriting
“I am not trying to say one size fits all, but in general, little girls’ fine motor skills are far more advanced than those of their male peers at an early age. No worries, parents of boys, because boys usually have far better gross motor skills than girls. Girls typically are very interested in fine motor activities (including pre-writing, coloring, cutting, and beading necklaces) and are therefore very motivated to practice. Unfortunately, girls tend to “self teach” handwriting and it is very common to see girls writing bottom to top, writing with segmented strokes and utilizing an improper pencil grasp. Because they practice writing and drawing so much, these habits become ingrained much quicker and can be difficult to change by the time they are noticed in the classroom (usually in 1st/2nd grade when writing demands increase). Poor handwriting habits increases chances that the child will be slower and/or sloppy with writing. Learning to write with good habits (e.g. proper grasp, top to bottom formation, left to right orientation, sizing, spacing) increases efficiency and legibility. In turn, good habits increases ability which increases self confidence and motivation!" --Stephanie Wick, OT/L
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Example: Here is my son when he was almost 4 years old. He goes to a great preschool, (and his mom is an OT!) yet, he is holding his marker in a a digital grasp . He is also using his left hand here, and he routinely changed hands during a task. This is very typical, yet, it is important to make changes so that they can progress to a more functional grasp AND start utilizing a dominant hand. My son was interested in drawing so I knew I had better get him in OT. Luckily, I knew just the person to help out. Check the video out below.
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The video illustrates the second time I tried "Handwriting Without Tears" with Jackson. He is not stabilizing with his left hand and is on a soft bed, but sometimes we work in the moment and build on the skills as we go along. |
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The state of kindergarten aged kids and their grasps on pencils...
Below are four kindergartner's pencil grasps. These kids were all sitting at the same table and at a very prominent school--with 2 months left in the school year. My mini sample illustrates what I see every day. Most of the times these habits started before kindergarten and are reinforced daily. Proper pencil grasp takes more than telling a child to hold the pencil correctly. Often it takes the parent, teacher, willingness of the child, persistence, and often, some occupational therapy.
 A: Wrapped Thumb Grasp |
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About the grasp patterns above:
A and C: This is what I see the most. The thumb's pad should be supporting the pencil near the lead (like in D). This grasp is using the arm and hand to write and draw instead of the small intrinsic muscles of the hand.
B: This is a modified "Violin" grasp with a thumb wrap. This child probably started off using a huge choo choo pencil and crept her pointer finger up the shaft to get more control. This child will likely have some major hand fatigue by 2nd or 3rd grade.
D: This is about perfect. The shaft of the pencil is resting back in the web space of the hand and the thumb, pointer finger and middle finger are supporting the pencil.
A and C: This is what I see the most. The thumb's pad should be supporting the pencil near the lead (like in D). This grasp is using the arm and hand to write and draw instead of the small intrinsic muscles of the hand.
B: This is a modified "Violin" grasp with a thumb wrap. This child probably started off using a huge choo choo pencil and crept her pointer finger up the shaft to get more control. This child will likely have some major hand fatigue by 2nd or 3rd grade.
D: This is about perfect. The shaft of the pencil is resting back in the web space of the hand and the thumb, pointer finger and middle finger are supporting the pencil.
His brother, James, 5, was struggling in kindergarten — even drawing stick figures was a task. When his mother, Paula Lascano, tried to cajole him into completing a few workbook assignments, he reported that “his hand got too tired.”
Like many parents, Ms. Lascano decided it was time for help, so 10 months ago she hired Casey Halper, a pediatric occupational therapist, to work first with James, and then with Noah, once a week. The boys manipulated stiff green putty, put pegs into boards, created chains of pennies and plastic connectors and wrote the alphabet — again and again.
These days, many little fingers are being drilled. Twenty-five years ago, pediatric occupational therapists primarily served children with severe disabilities like spina bifida, autism or cerebral palsy. Nowadays, these therapists are just as focused on helping children without obvious disabilities to hold a pencil.
In affluent neighborhoods in and around New York, occupational therapists have taken their place next to academic tutors, psychologists, private coaches and personal trainers — the army that often stands behind academically successful students. Read more....
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/fashion/25Therapy.html?sq=occupational%20therapy&st=cse&scp=1&pagewanted=all
A version of the above article appeared in print on February 25, 2010, on page E1 of the New York edition.
Like many parents, Ms. Lascano decided it was time for help, so 10 months ago she hired Casey Halper, a pediatric occupational therapist, to work first with James, and then with Noah, once a week. The boys manipulated stiff green putty, put pegs into boards, created chains of pennies and plastic connectors and wrote the alphabet — again and again.
These days, many little fingers are being drilled. Twenty-five years ago, pediatric occupational therapists primarily served children with severe disabilities like spina bifida, autism or cerebral palsy. Nowadays, these therapists are just as focused on helping children without obvious disabilities to hold a pencil.
In affluent neighborhoods in and around New York, occupational therapists have taken their place next to academic tutors, psychologists, private coaches and personal trainers — the army that often stands behind academically successful students. Read more....
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/fashion/25Therapy.html?sq=occupational%20therapy&st=cse&scp=1&pagewanted=all
A version of the above article appeared in print on February 25, 2010, on page E1 of the New York edition.