[mercedez]

My 11 year old has very bad writting.
Anyway he has see the occupational therapist 3 times and he has 2 more sessions left because there isnt much left in my private health fund to use up.
He is on a waiting list for occupational therapy through the community health centre and takes one year.

Is there a website that i can print out pages for handwritting?

Also is there anywhere else i can put him on a waiting list?

[mumto3princesses]

I don't know about a website or waiting lists etc but there is heaps of handwriting workbooks in newsagents or bookshops. Maybe even cheapie junk type shops. I know I found spelling and maths ones at a couple of junk shops once.

[luke's mummu]

Your private health fund should start paying again in the new year - most are by calendar year.

Also you may be able to get a 'medicare extended allied health plan' - sorry I can't think of the exact words for 5 funded visits - need to see your GP and they fill out a lot of paperwork.

[baddmammajamma]

In addition to the suggestions above, sit in on the next session of OT that he has. Ask the OT to give you additional exercises for your son that you can put into play at home.

[SoxyMama]

To be honest.... I think some people will always have bad handwriting I don't have any practical solutions. I had special instructions studying teaching at Uni that I really needed to improve to pass. I guess I must have tried really hard to do so lol.

My daughter is the same. I find handwriting SO frustrating because it is impossible to get my thoughts down quick enough. Learning to touch type on a typewriter, and hence being a very fast touch typist now is my saving grace.

I can barely read my own addressed letters.

One thing that probably helped in the past was a book about calligraphy. I used to practice as a child as the pen was so nice to use, and the style of writing so elegant. If you saw the work I did with a calligraphy pen, compared to with a normal pen you wouldn't know it is the same person writing. Perhaps something like that would help?

[Magenta Ambrosia]

Maybe your child is destined to be a Doctor

[It'sallgood]

When you say he has "bad" handwriting, what exactly do you mean?

He can't hold a pen / pencil properly and co-ordinate himself to write legibly?
Or his writing is so untidy it's unreadable?
Or he can't recognise and work out how to write on lines across the page etc?

what is HIS perception of how he writes? Can he identify himself what the problem with his writing is? or does he think his writing is okay?

Does he want to improve? or is he jsut playing along with what the adults in his life are saying is incorrect?

I would think there are different reasons for each of these things above and depending on what the actual issue is, would take different approach?

Tamm

[cattivo lupo]

If you are getting an el cheapo handwriting book from a shop, make sure it is the style taught in your state (NSW for example is called NSW foundation handwriting).

We have also used special pencil grips with our girls, I got them from the optometrist, he got them from he States, they aren't like those triangular ones, they're kind of moulded and really correct grip, that can also be helpful.

My ten year old has appalling handwriting too, and a terrible grip .

[mercedez]

When you say he has "bad" handwriting, what exactly do you mean? HIS WRITTING IS SMALL, MESSY AND CANT READ THE WRTTING.

He can't hold a pen / pencil properly and co-ordinate himself to write legibly? NO
Or his writing is so untidy it's unreadable? YES
Or he can't recognise and work out how to write on lines across the page etc? NO

what is HIS perception of how he writes? Can he identify himself what the problem with his writing is? or does he think his writing is okay? HE SAYS HE DOESNT KNOW WHY HIS WRITTING IS LIKE THAT, AND HE SAYS HE TRYS HIS BEST BUT IT TURNS OUT LIKE THAT.

Does he want to improve? or is he jsut playing along with what the adults in his life are saying is incorrect? YES HE WANTS TO IMPROVE AND I SEE I DO SEE HIM TRYING REALLY WELL TO DO THE WORKSHEETS.

I would think there are different reasons for each of these things above and depending on what the actual issue is, would take different approach?

Tamm

This post has been edited by mercedez: 17/12/2012, 10:14 PM

[Ducky*Fuzz]

This is going back a few years now, but my son saw an OT for hypermobile thumb which was impacting on a few things. He did a bit of threading and pulling objects out of putty (it's hard to pull apart, unlike clay and playdough).

Dot to dots were good for him as well, and tracing handwriting patterns, like swirls and waves.