Handwriting has many components to it, including fine motor skills, and visual perceptual skills. In therapy, we work on the underlying causes of the problem in a task, so we wouldn’t necessarily be working on handwriting, we would be working on the problem that is causing the poor handwriting. Here are a list of handwriting grips and what they look like. The grips are, Static Tripod, dynamic tripod, adapted tripod, quadrupod, gross grasp, digital pronated, 5 finger, thumb tuck, thumb wrap, tripod with closed web space.
Looking at the different motor needs for writing and the movements that you use, you have:
- Bilateral hand skills
- The ability to use both hands together doing different tasks.
- Shoulder and Postural (body) stability
- Stabilization of the body in a functional position. Being able to maintain a good sitting position and hold the shoulder in a good stable position.
- Wrist stability and extension
- It is easiest to use your finger movements when your wrist is slightly extended, and when your hand is stabilized and resting on the table.
- Development of the palmar arches
- The arches of the hand are where your hand bends and wrinkles. These arches give the hand its mobility and ability to function on different planes.
- Thumb opposition
- This is the ability of your thumb to touch the opposite side of your hand, your pinky and the other fingers of your hand. You have a pad of muscles at the base of your thumb that move your thumb in multiple directions in order to get a lot of movement and coordinated movements.
- Separation of two sides of the hand
- This is the ability to move the pinky side of your hand separately from the thumb side of your hand. In writing, you are able to use the most refined movements of your thumb and radial fingers while the pinky side of your hand is not moving and is stabilized.
- In-hand manipulation
- This is the ability to move items around in the hand using precise finger movements. The types of in-hand manipulation include translation, rotation, and shift.
- Hand Strength
- This is how strong those muscles of the hand are, and how well they can maintain their holding position and movements. If there is weakness, it becomes hard to achieve and hold the movements that are used for writing.
Activities that work on Handwriting
More ways to use Wikki Stix
Valentines day activities
A pencil charms substitute
Back to school activities
Operation Pet Scan
Why a Slant Board
Finding your letters on a keyboard
What is up with the ASD finger wrap pencil grasp?
Clay Writing Board
OT Flower Coloring Page
Make a fine motor balance tree
Bimanual Task Stencil Tracing on a Board
Spacing Between Words
Writing Legibility
Big mouth creature for feeding pom poms to
Using the SnapType App
Pencil Grips–Pros and Cons
no prep fun writing task
My Favorite hand strengthening and writing combinations
Easter Egg Writing Lines
Simple line following
Using adapted paper
Pencil Grip for Hand and Joint Weakness
Writing Lines Cookie Decorating
Save the Dinosaurs fine motor game
Hang Man for writing practice
Pizza Delivery Game For Following Directions
Making Letters With Playdoh
Happy Caterpillar writing
Beginning of the year Writing
Handwriting Self Check
Using push pins to develop fine motor skills
Fun Ice Cream Clothespin Game
Search and Find Fine Motor
Fine Motor Pet Feeding
Using the Button Sandwich for Sequencing and Writing
10 Fun Ways to Incorporate Writing into Therapy
New Pencil Adventures to Work on Pencil Control
Scissor Cutting Turkey Template
Writing Made Funny
