This document discusses occupational therapy and how it can help children with issues like illegible handwriting. Occupational therapists consider a child's occupations of play and school and provide services to increase their function and success if they are unable to fully participate. The document outlines areas occupational therapy can help with, such as visual motor skills, motor coordination, and sensory processing. It provides definitions of these areas and explains the referral process for children to receive occupational therapy services in schools.

1. OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
Illegible handwriting versus occupational
therapy intervention.

2. WHAT IS THE CHILD’S OCCUPATION
 Work
 Play

3. OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY IN
SCHOOLS
 “An occupational therapist considers the child's
occupations of play and school. If a child is
unable to fully participate in play or school, the
occupational therapist provides services to
increase the child's function and success. A
student must be in special education, with an
identified disability, in order to receive
occupational therapy services in the school
system”.
(http://www.lisd.net/speced/otweb/index.htm)

4. HOW CAN OCCUPATIONAL
THERAPY HELP?
 Areas of treatment
 Visual Motor Integration
 Visual Perceptual Motor
 Visual Spatial Awareness
 Motor coordination
 Motor planning
 Postural stability
 Sensory Processing

5. VISUAL MOTOR SKILLS
 “The ability to draw or reproduce what one sees.”
(Handy Learning Susan Thompson, OTR, 2004)

6. VISUAL PERCEPTION
 “The ability to see, discern and recognize shapes
visually.”
(Handy Learning Susan Thompson, OTR, 2004)

7. MOTOR COORDINATION AND
MOTOR PLANNING
 “The ability to move through a novel motor task
without difficulties and transfer learned
movement patterns to new tasks.”
(Handy Learning Susan Thompson, OTR, 2004)

8. PROXIMAL STABILITY
 “The ability to maintain a fixed posture without
external support”.
(Handy Learning Susan Thompson, OTR, 2004)

9. SENSORY PROCESSING
“Sensory Processing involves the ability to take in
information about our environment through the
senses and use the information in a meaningful
and functional manner.”
(http://www.lisd.net/speced/otweb/sensoryProcessing.htm)

10. SIGNIFICANT DELAY
 For a student to qualify for occupational therapy
as a related service they must present with a
significant delay that impacts their ability to
access their school curriculum.
 So what can we do for those students who may
not qualify for occupational therapy intervention
but have a difficult time with their writing
skills???

11. HIERARCHY OF THE REFERRAL
PROCESS WITHIN THE
WALLENPAUPACK SCHOOL DISTRICT.
 Teacher identifies a need
 Teacher contacts school guidance counselor
 Trouble shooting ideas and support interventions
are given to the teacher
 Teacher trials interventions for 6 weeks
 If no progress is being made, the student is
referred to the SAP team.
 Team will determine necessity for an
Occupational therapy screen
 Occupational therapist will screen and make
determination as to whether or not the student
will require an OT evaluation.

12. HOW THE OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST
CAN HELP IN THE RESPONSE TO
INTERVENTION PROCESS!!!
 Trouble Shooting Ideas…………………….
 Guide the SAP team in the determination of
appropriate intervention strategies.

13. REFERENCES
 Case-Smith, J., (2001) Occupational therapy for Children 4th
edition.
St. Louis, MI: Mosby Inc.
 Thompson, S., (2004) Handy Learning Activities for Hand Developmental and Curriculum
Enhancement. Retrieved from www.handylearning.com
 Clark Brack, J. ( 2006) Sensory Processing Disorder Kit: Simulations and Solutions
for Parents, Teachers and Therapists. Shawnee Mission, KS: Autism Asperger Publishing
Company.