Motor control automaticity and handwriting

[PeterPan]

Ok, I don't know if anyone knows an answer, but is there an answer to this? I feel like there's something I'm missing about how to approach this better, smarter. With typing we had to change to a new layout, because working harder at the same thing (QWERTY) wasn't getting us anywhere. I think it's something similar, that she's just going so much faster as she gets older. Some of it's tone, but mainly the np said it's that the motor control for the handwriting isn't automatic. What in the world does that mean? I'll go look at my notes, but I'm just scratching my head. Like her typing (before the great change), it's actually getting WORSE. Sigh. And she's not game for handwriting exercises. So I need something that tackles this smarter, since I can't approach it harder.

 

Anyone read into this and have a clue? I'm not saying smarter as in more creatively. I mean more digging into the root of whatever is causing this, the motor control not being automatic. That's what I'm having trouble wrapping my brain around.

[TippyCanoe]

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[PeterPan]

You know Doodles, I think you're right that that's exactly what's happening. She's flying because she's working hard to get it all out.

 

What might work is a buffet of options with just a simple 10 minute time requirement a day. (work on it for 10 minutes using something from the pile or something you make up) Your idea of forging/imitating signatures is fantastic. You just never know what will catch her eye. That might be the most peaceful way to get there.

[eoffg]

Elizabeth, you asked what does 'motor control for the handwriting isn't automatic' mean?

But writing is just a specific task, that relies on automatic motor control of hands and fingers.

Which comes down to control of the muscles.

Where at both ends of every muscle, we have 'proprioceptive receptors', that in unison to control the flexion and extension of a muscle.

At birth, these receptors are yet to be developed, where muscles just operate in a reflex, on/off response.

A baby then attempts gain control and inhibit these reflex actions?

Where this is where the brain goes through a process of developing connections to these receptors, on every single muscle throughout the body and head. Where their is a different timeline, for different groups of muscles.

So that this development of control of muscles, is a conscious process, as a baby practices inhibiting a muscle from fully contracting? So that it develops the ability to control the rate of flexion and extension of muscles.

Until the control of each muscle and muscle group, becomes automatic.

The development of hand control, uses what is termed as the Palmar Reflex, where if you touch the palm of a babies hand? This will cause a grip reflex, which is so strong that often a baby can be lifted in the air, and lifted in the air.

Where a baby has no control over this, and it will take nearly a minute before the muscles relax/ extend, and it releases its grip.

So that a baby begins learning how to inhibit this on/off reflex. Then spends some years developing and refining control of the flexion and extension of muscles. Along with simultaneous control of multiple muscles at the same time.

Which develops into automatic motor control.

But the development of automatic control of the different 'muscle groups', is vulnerable to disruption?

Where their is no actual functional problem, but 'control' wasn't fully developed.

 

Though a simple exercise to develop greater motor control and automaticity of the hands and fingers?

Simply involves, touching the thumb tip to each finger tip. Going from finger to finger, in random order.

Also varying the pace, from fast to very slow, and back and forth.

Where this simple exercise, develops greater flexion and extension control of all the muscles.

Which begins with just doing it with one hand at a time. Then progressing to doing it with both hands at the same time.

[rafiki]

nt

[EKS]

And she's not game for handwriting exercises. So I need something that tackles this smarter, since I can't approach it harder.

 

 

 

I've found that as my son (the 16yo) has gotten older, I've needed his full buy in to make changes. *He* needs to want to make changes and do whatever that might take. And I have to say that putting him in school where things aren't as easily accommodated has highlighted in his mind what he needs to work on (and what he doesn't).

 

So, getting back to your situation... If your daughter is not wanting to do handwriting exercises, does she *experience* the importance of quick, legible handwriting as a natural part of her life? As a homeschooler, my son did not. I think your first task is to get her to *want* to work on the problem, even if it means handwriting exercises.

 

That said, my younger son is currently doing some OT for handwriting and a big part of the process is strengthening his core muscles as well as his arms and shoulders.

[peacefully]

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[Laurie]

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Edited August 22, 2012 by Laurie

[Laura Corin]

This seemed to be a problem with Calvin. It was as if he was drawing his letters afresh each time, as if his hand didn't remember the movements it had performed the last time he wrote that letter.

 

It got better over time with a lot of little-and-often practice. His handwriting is still a bit slow and not very neat, but it is automatic.

 

Laura

[PeterPan]

This seemed to be a problem with Calvin. It was as if he was drawing his letters afresh each time, as if his hand didn't remember the movements it had performed the last time he wrote that letter.

 

It got better over time with a lot of little-and-often practice. His handwriting is still a bit slow and not very neat, but it is automatic.

 

Laura

 

Yup, I took the np's comments to mean exactly that, that the motor control was not on auto, so her brain was rethinking it each time. And that eats up RAM (working memory). She's compensating, now that she's older, by flying like the wind. There's a little saying about it not being bad handwriting, just her own font, and that's what it's turning into. When she was young she could slow down and be acceptable. Now that she's writing more and wanting to go fast, it's getting pretty bad.

[Tiramisu]

Ok, I don't know if anyone knows an answer, but is there an answer to this? I feel like there's something I'm missing about how to approach this better, smarter. With typing we had to change to a new layout, because working harder at the same thing (QWERTY) wasn't getting us anywhere. I think it's something similar, that she's just going so much faster as she gets older. Some of it's tone, but mainly the np said it's that the motor control for the handwriting isn't automatic. What in the world does that mean? I'll go look at my notes, but I'm just scratching my head. Like her typing (before the great change), it's actually getting WORSE. Sigh. And she's not game for handwriting exercises. So I need something that tackles this smarter, since I can't approach it harder.

 

Anyone read into this and have a clue? I'm not saying smarter as in more creatively. I mean more digging into the root of whatever is causing this, the motor control not being automatic. That's what I'm having trouble wrapping my brain around.

 

OhE, I think you just need to have her crawl. ;) ;) ;)

[PeterPan]

Well, I'll chime in, not to disagree with previous posters at all, but merely to bring the perspective of someone whose child has had a successful experience with a therapeutic approach to motor planning. My ds also did not have anywhere near any kind of handwriting automaticity. He has visual-motor deficits, SPD, developmental coordination disorder, very low tone, very little muscle strength, and very low working memory function. Vision therapy improved the really wild issues with his handwriting (lack of line awareness, spacing, size, etc.), and OT and gymnastics improved his physical stamina for writing. When he remediated his auditory working memory, he was able to do things like remember dictation sentences and spell longer phonetically regular words, but he still had some issues with handwriting. Our SLP noted his grip, the "spidery" jiggly way his letters looked, his frequent erasures, and the very slow pace at which he wrote. In the last few months of ST she started incorporating motor planning exercises within ds's speech therapy.

 

I can't say that this is any sort of magic bullet, but there's no question that my ds's handwriting improved after this. His handwriting, although sloppier than what many NT boys might produce, particularly when he is composing his own writing, is now clear and legible. When he writes sentences from dictation for spelling, he can produce downright lovely print. He learned cursive surprisingly quickly, and he is now starting to use cursive for more of his work.

 

(BTW, in a surprising turn of events, my ds is now working with our SLP again. She joined our physical therapist's practice, and the two of them are developing pediatric programs incorporating PT, OT, and our SLP's version of ST. Currently, they are working on gross motor issues and ST in the context of social skills.)

 

Anyway, to try to answer your question more succinctly, OhE, for my ds it wasn't an issue of motor control not being automatic (and unless there is a neuromuscular issue going on, people with praxis issues generally don't have an issue with muscle control), but his motor planning would get very wonky in the ideation and organization stages of praxis, due to his poor visual processing, sensory processing, and working memory.

 

This is what I was looking for. Yes, the OT used the word praxis when she was evaluating dd, which is why I caught onto ds's verbal apraxia so quickly, because I recognized it as soon as it was suggested as the explanation for his speech problem. Anyways, the OT was so hairbrained, she would start things, never follow through, didn't come prepared, and we dropped. Nuts, she didn't even put anything about the praxis into the final write-up (which she was DOING the hour I came to receive the write-up, she was late getting it done, triple grr). Anyways, I'm just saying I plunked out the money, went the route that should have explained it, and didn't get full answers. So yes, I'm totally on board with the idea that this is motor planning/praxis, thank you for making the connection. So then what do I DO.

 

One of the things the OT caught was dd's complete inability to imitate something she's shown with motor planning. For instance, if you make a motion with your hand, she can't imitate it. Ds can, ironically enough, but dd cannot. It was one of the things the OT said demonstrated the praxis, that there was a glitch connecting the motor planning. If you *tell* her how to do it she can do the movement, but if she has to watch you and imitate she's toast.

 

Not helpful, eh? So I guess give me more terms to go on or a sense of what I'm looking for her. We did the stuff for tone and strength and realize that's an issue to continue working on, but that's not quite the same as this motor planning thing.

[PeterPan]

OhE, I think you just need to have her crawl. ;) ;) ;)

 

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

 

Too funny!!! Well it's true, crawling IS good for upper body strength.

 

Too funny. I'll have to think on that. But you're right, I don't think this is something she's going to naturally outgrow at 16 or whatever. Your handwriting and personality get so inextricably woven, that at some point the person gives up. I feel like I have a tiny window yet to do SOMETHING, if I can figure out WHAT.

[PeterPan]

I've found that as my son (the 16yo) has gotten older, I've needed his full buy in to make changes. *He* needs to want to make changes and do whatever that might take. And I have to say that putting him in school where things aren't as easily accommodated has highlighted in his mind what he needs to work on (and what he doesn't).

 

So, getting back to your situation... If your daughter is not wanting to do handwriting exercises, does she *experience* the importance of quick, legible handwriting as a natural part of her life? As a homeschooler, my son did not. I think your first task is to get her to *want* to work on the problem, even if it means handwriting exercises.

 

That said, my younger son is currently doing some OT for handwriting and a big part of the process is strengthening his core muscles as well as his arms and shoulders.

 

Absolutely understand about the buy-in... That's why I'm taking my time here, because I haven't found something I feel really confident is a good solution. If I'm confident it's worth the effort, I'll enforce it. That's what we did with Dvorak.

 

Yup, we did some OT.

 

Gotta play with my toddler, back later. Thanks for all the other replies that I haven't responded to. :)

[Tiramisu]

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

 

Too funny!!! Well it's true, crawling IS good for upper body strength.

 

Too funny. I'll have to think on that. But you're right, I don't think this is something she's going to naturally outgrow at 16 or whatever. Your handwriting and personality get so inextricably woven, that at some point the person gives up. I feel like I have a tiny window yet to do SOMETHING, if I can figure out WHAT.

 

I absolutely love the responses on this thread. My pitiful attempt at humor shouldn't take away from the PP's amazing ideas and suggestions. I don't know what to suggest, but there really is something about weaknesses becoming more apparent as things become more challenging. I'm gearing myself this year because I know there is a big jump in workload and difficulty for my second, and I'm sure I'll get a new perspective of her strengths and weaknesses.

[peacefully]

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[PeterPan]

Yllek, good find on that thread!! :D You're right, I had forgotten about that. We did try the symbols plus auditory wm after you suggested it, but as I recall it was just really easy for her at the level we did. We also had a really crunchy year last year, too many directions with therapy, co-op, wifi (giving me headaches), etc. This year we're in "stay at home, let's feel good" mode. I have more working memory stuff to working on, but it got shoved aside. We're ramping up right now, so it can go on the list for next week. I just had to add it a bit at a time, couldn't go up to a full schedule. This summer was more of a break, go to camp, visit relatives, kind of summer, not a lot of school work getting done.

 

So the working memory plus motor use expands her ability to do both. That makes sense. I can't believe I forgot that. Well yes I can. And we did do it some. We got busy or something, because it drifted by the wayside. Well thanks for the reminder.