Handwriting May Suppress Student's School Successes

It may start off as something small: awKward lEtter siZing, nospacebetweenwords. Handwriting is one way that children can express their thoughts and demonstrate their abilities.

But poor handwriting places a child at a great disadvantage. Instead of being evaluated solely on spelling skills, a grade may also reflect handwriting impairment. How do parents and caregivers tell the difference between a child who is a "late handwriting bloomer" and one who has a serious handwriting dysfunction?

PERFECTING PENMANSHIP-Andrew Kellogg works on his drawing skills under the direction of Texas Children's Hospital occupational therapist Stacey Paluszak. Writing on a vertical mirror promotes correct wrist position, and shaving cream helps develop Andrew's sense of touch. Both help develop the fine motor skills needed for handwriting.

"If a child is still having problems with handwriting after the first grade, then we classify that as a handwriting dysfunction," said Ingrid Kusnierczyk, an occupational therapist at Texas Children's Hospital. "Often these children have had problems with other activities that require fine motor skills, such as eating, dressing and cutting. However, the problem was not apparent until handwriting highlighted it."

School systems generally will refer a child to their pediatrician, who in turn will refer the child to a specialist in fine motor skills and strength building, usually an occupational therapist. Nearly 50 percent of all children seen in Texas Children's Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation department have a handwriting dysfunction. More than 15 percent of students nationwide have a handwriting impairment.

It is unclear why some children are unable to fully develop their fine motor skills, but the hand itself is not the only cause. Difficulties in control of the shoulders, trunk and wrist, as well as visual problems, are contributing factors.

Practicing handwriting won't improve the child's skill level because he or she will reinforce poor motor habits. An individualized program that incorporates exercises for the child's posture, movement, vision and specific hand-function skills will help a child improve his or her handwriting. And that child will have a much better chance of making the grade.

Texas Children's occupational therapists offer these general tips:

* Learning cursive handwriting first may be beneficial to a handwriting-impaired child.

* Changing the way a child holds a pen or pencil may alleviate handwriting difficulties.

* Ensuring that a child has proper posture while seated - so that the trunk, shoulder and hand are correctly aligned - is an important handwriting consideration.

In addition to therapy, a strong support system is vital to a child's success.

"Relatives and teachers must participate in the child's recovery," said Kusnierczyk. "If the therapy isn't reinforced at home and school, then that's going to add months, possibly years, to correct the problem."

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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