Found out today why ds has trouble with handwriting

[lulubelle]

It has been a long year and a half of getting ds #2 - he is 6 - to feel more comfortable writing and knowing his numbers and letters. Finally I decide he needs an OT evaluation. I called his primary care doctor's office and they say he should be seen by there developmental pediatrician. And, I am thinking why wasn't I told about this doctor last year for ds #1's issues! She is new, we saw her today and she was great. It turns out that his finger joints are extremely flexible and causes him to have low muscle tone in his hands! I had no idea. His fingers can be easily bent way back toward the top side of his wrist! She suggested to stop using thin pencils and stop letter writing for awhile. Use fat crayons, bake, do playdough, chalk board, etc. She also suggested therapyshoppe.com for some items to help him. And, next an evaluation and help from an OT. I new I wasn't crazy!!! Something was not right. Now, for a neuropsych eval. for ds#1 and see what that finds us! Thanks to many on this board who have given me great knowledge and determination to seek out help for my kids!

[Tiramisu]

Interesting...Dd9 has always had trouble with the physical act of writing, although she writes well if you KWIM. She was in OT for sensory issues but they didn't work much with her pencil grip, handwriting, etc. though they noted they noted weakness in her hands. When she had spinal surgery last winter, the surgeon said that he found her ligaments were lax. I wonder if lax ligaments in her fingers, the flexibility you talk about, is the reason for her part of her writing problem, too.

 

If it helps, she started typing this year and writing seems much less frustrating to her.

 

Dd really liked using therapuddy. It's stiffer than play dough and has a good consistency for doing a variety of things with. The first batch I got from OT, but then I got some from Timberdoodle. They have a variety of types, and our kids got a kick out of the kind that changed color with the heat of their hands. Just keep it off your carpet at all costs. ;)

 

One activity dd did repeatedly that the OT taught us was to roll out the therapuddy into a snake, then coil it so its like a snail, then pat it down and make it into a ball again and start over.