presented by: occupational therapy department luzerne intermediate unit 18 date: april 17, 2005
TRANSCRIPT
Presented By:Presented By:Occupational Therapy Department Occupational Therapy Department
Luzerne Intermediate Unit 18Luzerne Intermediate Unit 18Date: April 17, 2005Date: April 17, 2005
The Role of Occupational Therapy • Occupational therapists focus on
an individual’s ability to perform functional tasks within the school setting improving the student’s ability to benefit from their education.
Areas of School Function
MobilityADL’sSchool RoutinesWritten
Communication
Play and LeisurePre-vocational SkillsVocational SkillsSocial Skills
Mobility• Range of Motion• Adaptive Equipment• Consultation to
physical education teacher and regular education teacher
• Home exercise program
Activities of Daily Living
• Fine motor coordination skills such as buttoning, zipping and snapping
• Donning/doffing coat• Tying shoes• Compensatory
strategies
School Routines• Adapt student
schedule• Building orientation• Self-monitoring
program• Consultation with
teachers
Pre-vocational Skills• Fine motor skills• Gross motor skills• Interests• Attention span• Ability to follow directions• Physical limitations
Vocational Skills• On-site evaluation
and training• Adaptations as
needed to perform• Recommendations
for placement• Consultation with
teachers, parents and community resources
Play and Leisure• Gross motor skills• Fine motor skills• Physical limitations• Adaptations to toys• Interest survey• Social skills
Social Skills• Communication skills• Attention span• Physical limitations• Interests• Behavior• Functioning age level
Written Communication• Fine motor skills• Posture/positioning• Pencil grip• Special paper• Perceptual motor skills• Alternate methods of written work
Handwriting Performance Components
• Body and spatial awareness
• Laterality• Directionality• Visual Perception• Visual Motor
Integration• Postural
Stability/Control
Handwriting Performance
Components (cont’d)• Proximal Stability• In-Hand Manipulation• Hand Strength• Motor Planning• Ocular Motor Control• Bilateral Integration• Eye-Hand Coordination
Pre-writing Skills• The mastery of handwriting requires
development of pre-writing skills. Addressing these skills through activities, play, and instruction will help to build a strong foundation for handwriting. By the latter half of kindergarten, most normally developing students have acquired the following skills:
Pre-Writing Skills (con’t)
• An established dominance for coloring, drawing, or using a fork.
• The ability to cross the midline of the body.
• A functional pencil grasp.• An understanding of directional terms
and the ability to recognize similarities and differences in forms.
Pre-Writing Skills (con’t)
• The ability to copy basic lines and shapes.• The ability to use two hands in an activity.• The ability to coordinate eyes and hands
together.• The ability to maintain an adequate sitting
posture.• Orientation to print.
Ergonomics of Handwriting
• Ergonomics is the science of adapting the work space or work conditions in order for the worker to be successful. Factors that need to be taught and reinforced for handwriting include:
Writing Posture• Comfortable/Upright• Feet flat on the floor• Knees and hips at 90
degrees• Appropriate desk
height• Chair and desk have
to fit properly
Pencil Grip• Dynamic tripod
grasp most commonly used by children and adults
• Should be reinforced with most students
• Difficult to alter after a child starts 2nd grade
Paper Position• Cursive-slant of 30
degrees to left for right-handers and 35 to 45 degrees to the right for left-handers
• Masking tape on desk to mark the correct slant
Compensatory Strategies (con’t)
• Have student work on an inclined surface(blackboard, easel or slant board)
• Use a tongue depressor, popsicle stick or students finger for spacing of words
• Use large graph paper• Turn lined paper sideways for columns
for math problems
Compensatory Strategies (con’t)
• Emphasize lines on paper by visual or tactile cues
• Emphasize directional terms• Have student use a computer for
assignments• Provide visual alphabet on desk for
reference• Reduce the writing load• Allow student to give oral
reports/demonstrations
Functional Handwriting Tasks
• Complete address and telephone books• Address envelopes• Make and send cards• Fill out forms/applications• Label maps• Make shopping lists• Write a to-do list
Functional Handwriting Tasks (con’t)
• Write recipe cards• Write thank-you notes• Work on crosswords• Send postcards/letters• Get a pen pal• Keep a diary or journal
Poor Handwriting Cycle
IMPORTANT !!!
• Remember it will be very difficult if not impossible to change once an ineffective grip is established.
• Early intervention is a must !!!
Web Resources
• Handwriting
• The American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. - Helping people of all ages develop skills for the job of living