Motoric Issues
Abilities
• Holding writing utensil
• Stabilizing the paper
• Visually guiding the hand
• Moving the writing utensil along the paper
• Visually recall of the letter
• Kinesthetic memory of letter formation
• Word formation
• Neuromuscular (muscle strength and postural control)
• Motor Skills (assimilation and interpretation of sensory information)
• Level/degree of the grip can interfere with handwriting
Difficulties
• Forming letters
• Positioning letters on the lines with appropriate spacing
• Sitting upright
• Strong grasp of writing utensil
• Manipulating pencil and paper at the same time
• Consistent hand preference
• Motor accuracy (control fine motor movements)
Environmental Considerations
• Workstation/desk
Organizational Issues
Abilities
• Express ideas in a way that is meaningful to others
• Generate ideas
• Connect ideas
• Use details/facts effectively and appropriately
• Use appropriate mechanics (grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization)
• Complex sentences
• Use appropriate citations and formats
Difficulties
• Struggle to get thoughts onto paper
• Problems organizing thoughts sequentially to make sense
• Cannot start or does not know how to start the writing process
• Does not include relevant or pertinent detail (vague description)
• Sentence structure
Environmental Considerations
• Low, mid, and high AT available to support the organization and composition of thoughts and ideas
Abilities
•Visual perception (ability to take in and interpret information through the eyes)
•Information processing
Difficulties
•Organization of words on a page
•Copying
•Understanding the rules of language
•Identifying if a word is spelled correctly
•Writing speed
Environmental Considerations
•Teacher’s expectations
•Rigor of assignments
•Sensory considerations which can impact ability to focus (visual clutter, lighting, noise, physical space)
•Maladaptive behaviors can influence production of written work
•Resources available to the student (tools, anchor charts, aids)
•Low, mid, and high AT available for both issues
•SETT framework can be used to identify appropriate AT needed based on the student’s abilities and difficulties and the skill/task
Blog Post #4
(author: Rachel Overtoom )
