Occupational Therapy is a science-based, holistic approach to working on activities of daily living and the factors that impact people’s ability to participate. At its core, Occupational Therapy, or OT for short, is about creating meaning for those participating in the tasks, by working on the underlying skills and by working on the adaptations of the task as appropriate.

For handwriting, there’s so much more to think about than letter formation:
– Are the eyes working together correctly?
– Is the grasp functional?
– Does the child have the ability to stay within boundaries for cutting and coloring?
– Do letters have meaning for the child?
– Is the paper the right size and format?
– Can the child sit in the chair appropriately for best positioning comfortably?
– Is it the just-right challenge for the child?
– Does handwriting have meaning for the child and a purpose?
– Can they attend and visualize the task?
– Do they have automaticity of letter formation before they start working on spelling?
– Are their reflexes integrated for posture and attention support?
– Do they have the timing to transition between letters and words and spacing needs?

Each child has different needs, and it’s so important to create a strong beginning for each child to be independent and have the supports they need to be successful both at home and in the school setting.