How to make handwriting easier for children with disabilities

Handwriting...you love it or you hate it, it’s fairly simple. Some people have neat tiny (sometimes too tiny) handwriting that fits neatly on the page and others it’s slanted, messy and at times completely illegible. No kindergartener...or at least very few wants to willingly practice handwriting, it’s difficult and frustrating and requires fine motor skills that are still developing. For children with disabilities who often have deficits in fine motor skills there is another added level of frustration...I know from experience, my handwriting is horrendous despite almost 19 years of occupational therapy.

With encouragement and the right tools it can be made easier. Without further ado here’s some of my tips from personal experience;

1. Positive reinforcement can be one of the best things for any child to build self esteem and confidence, that goes without saying

2. Practice practice practice. While it might not be enjoyable in the moment, it pays off in the long run. Sometimes in order to build skills there needs practice or continued schooling during a summer vacation as warranted by the IEP

3. Using tools. There are many many tools out there used by occupational therapists to help with writing, from grippy handrests that go around a pencil or pen to encourage good grip, to weighted pencils or oversized writing utensils. Sometimes in a quick situation a bit of putty can be used to make a modified hand rest and allow for correct grip

4. Taking breaks and redirecting focus can avoid burnout which leads to further apprehensiveness or combativeness. Redirecting attention to another activity that builds fine motor skills allows for continued therapy while having fun

5. Understanding that at the end of the day as long as you can read it, that’s what matters. There is always room for improvement but having a legible baseline builds a strong foundation

Until next time,

Max