OT for handwriting

Posted: Tue, Dec 06 2011, 10:59 pm Post subject: OT for handwriting

I just came home from PTA and the teacher recommended that DS get OT for his poor handwriting. I'm not against getting him therapy but his fine motor skills otherwise seem to be great. He builds intricate clics and little lego models. He buttons, zippers, snaps, buckles, etc. and dresses completely independantly. He also beads and laces perfectly. Would it make sense to get him therapy just for handwriting? Would he even be approved?
(Anon so that MIL doesnt see this and flip out)

Posted: Tue, Dec 06 2011, 11:06 pm Post subject: re: OT for handwriting

How poor is his handwriting? If you can't easily read it, I'd get him some help. Stringing beads and building with legos is great, but means nothing if the kid cannot write properly. Can't hurt to get an OT evaluation at least.

Executive Member Joined: Aug 05 2011 Posts: 376

It is getting harder to be approved for OT, and a child won't qualify unless there is an underlying fine motor, visual motor, or sensory processing deficit affecting the child's ability to produce neat writing. How old is your DS? Was he actually taught handwriting using a specific program, or was he basically just expected to pick it up on his own? Does the teacher have other concerns, or is it just handwriting? You can always try for an evaluation and see what happens, or you can practice with your DS a little each night. Handwriting without tears is a very simple, easy to follow program, which many kids do well with. You can order the workbooks from their website. A lot of kids show great improvement with practice.

Posted: Tue, Dec 06 2011, 11:29 pm Post subject: re: OT for handwriting

How old is he? If your only concern is handwriting, yes, get handwriting without tears and do it yourself. No need to pay an OT for that.

Posted: Tue, Dec 06 2011, 11:47 pm Post subject:

If you can get a therapist to help with an issue, why turn it down? It couldn't hurt, and it might help.

In the end, kids with handwriting issues often are taught to type. But developing the fine motor control is helpful.

Amother above me, I have been wondering about the Hebrew handwriting without tears; I love the English one. Do you by any chance know if it's worth getting?

Executive Member Joined: Aug 05 2011 Posts: 376

Amother above me, I have been wondering about the Hebrew handwriting without tears; I love the English one. Do you by any chance know if it's worth getting?[/quote]

I used the hebrew version with 2 kids and it is pretty good. The only disadvantage is that some of the letters are a little different than what most kids learn because they aren't as "curvy", but it is not a major difference. If you had success with the English one, it is probably worth trying the hebrew one.

Posted: Tue, Dec 06 2011, 11:57 pm Post subject: re: OT for handwriting

OP here- thanks for the responses. I can read his handwriting perfectly- it's just messy. Also, he never wrote before September (he's in first grade- just turned six) and she says she taught them each letter but I never saw any sheets. I use handwriting w/o tears for my students and I love it so I suggested that I'd do it with him but she felt that it's a completely different system than what she's using so I shouldn't do it... I guess I can get an eval but it's so hard because the school doesnt allow therapy during school hours and he gets home at 5 as it is....
Her other concerns were just basic messiness which I would agree with.

Moderator Joined: Aug 14 2005 Posts: 4541 Location: Ohio

Our school uses handwriting without tears and my daughter STILL had a problem with her handwriting. It's not a fix-it for an underlying problem.

We sent her to an OT for a few months. It was a real stretch because I didn't want her to miss school (the school would let, but I don't think it's good) and her issue was bad enough for her to need some help but not so bad that she would qualify for services from the state. So, we wound up using our insurance, so with our deducible and copay it was $60 a visit. B"H, we were very lucky and since it was really only the one thing, she was able to improve enough that therapy only lasted a few months. (I sat in on the therapy sessions and watched so I am now able to help her at home when she gets stuck on things again or falls back into an old pattern.) We were also very lucky in that our OT let us make payments--we for sure didn't have $240 a month lying around. So we finished paying maybe nine months after the therapy finished. It was very hard, but worth it. Hatzlacha!
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