Guest guest Posted August 31, 2002 Report Share Posted August 31, 2002 First off, welcome to all the new members. In reviewing this week's post, the only one I can add some experience to is on 'handwriting'. Oddly enough, Gretchen, I never really realized what I have been doing, cursive AND printing. I do most of my file notes and updating at night and maybe this is why. In going over my own notes in patient files, I can see easily that printing the way I am doing is more readable than cursive. And I seem to print just as fast as cursive. Interesting topic. JJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 13, 2007 Report Share Posted August 13, 2007 I have tried EVERY pencil grip out there but have found amazing success with one and one only: The Writing C.L.A.W. From the moment Mark tried this grip, his writing speed and legibility doubled or possibly trippled. It is the weirest looking item possible but really worked for us. You can get it at: http://writingclaw.com/default.aspx I am going to cut/paste the homepage below for your reading enjoyment! Hopefully the pictures will appear for you all. EMPOWER INDEPENDENCE WITH THE C.L.A.W. ***Important Notice*** The same C.L.A.W. can go from side walk chalk, and back to the crayon instantly! Now in three convenient sizes covering: 2 years old through 1st grade, 2nd grade through 6th grade, and 7th grade through adults!!! ***Give disabled adults the power to write, and eat on their own once again... Helps with hand ailments that low muscle movement from such as: Parkinson's Disease, Autism, and Arthritis, Stroke Victims. ***Helps students with Special Needs, to write with comfort and confidence in their classroom, and at home. 3/21/07 It's a hard thing for an educator who has a child that does not share a love for writing! I am a kindergarten teacher and I absolutely love teaching my students to write. However, I have struggled to get my 7 year old to enjoy writing. After trying every kind of grip, I realized most of them were simply for comfort. My sons' handwriting was not what an educator/mother would have liked it to be. But I am happy and pleased to say, " That with the use of the C.L.A.W. he has shown some growth and is even a bit more eager to complete writing task. " The C.L.A.W. really helps him to keep his writing strokes more controlled, which has improved his handwriting. I have purchased them for my students and have been sharing them with family and friends. I am so excited to have been introduced to the C.L.A.W. JoBina Grace Kindergarten Teacher Malvern Elementary-MISD Mckinney, Texas 12/12/06 This was the first proper gripping product that my daughter likes to use, as she was learning how to hold pencils, crayons and pens. And we tried a few others... I liked it so much I bought a bunch for our school's primary grades. Thanks for making something that works!!! Dirk A. 2/15/07 I have a child in kindergarten as well as a parent battling Parkinson's and the Writing Claw offers assistance to both of them. I truly believe that the Writing Claw will become a fixture in our educational classrooms in the near future for persons of all ages. Congratulations on a wonderful product! Mark C. Immediate Past-President, Michigan Association of Secondary Principals Principal, Northview High School Welcome to the newest innovation of writing, which now allows 2 years old through senior citizens, to concentrate on what they are writing, and the technical strokes of letters and numbers, instead of focusing on the daunting task of holding writing instruments correctly. The process of learning the technique of holding a writing instrument correctly can vary from 1-3 years, and possibly longer without the C.L.A.W. Ultimately, it comes down to giving your child, and the people you care about, one less thing to worry about. ***Meet the Writing C.L.A.W. guys in person at NAEYC Annual Conference and Expo in Chicago, IL November 7-10 (Booth # 1850). Come up and try the C.L.A.W. for yourself! Gain the upperhand for your childs future: Time will fly before your eyes, as your children grow. How will you help them develop their writing skills? First, obviously with the C.L.A.W., but secondly throughout the website you can find some helpful links that talk about handwriting skills and technique. Please take a moment and check out some of the helpful links throughout the website. Not just for the youth, for everyone: Writing C.L.A.W. Incorporated is here to serve you in order to improve writing globally. Not only is the C.L.A.W. geared for kids, but it also allows senior citizens, people with hand impairments, people with special needs, and anyone who is simply tired of getting hand cramps from writing. The C.L.A.W. is designed for comfort as well as sensibility. " THE MOST ADVANCING PRODUCT YOU WILL EVER BUY YOUR CHILD! " *Simple, and habit forming *Revolutionary grip ensuring true finger position *Easy to use *Recommended by Occupational Therapists, Teachers & Principals *Works great for holding forks, spoons, and paint brushes for people with hand disabilities *Incredible comfort *F.D.A. Approved *Latex Free [ ] ARTICLE - Facilitating movements and communication > My son can write, but tends to do better with chalk on a vertical > board. He will write on paper but insists that I touch his hand or his > arm -- I do NOT guide his movements, my touch is more like a moral > support or a " prompt " . He CAN write independently -- sometimes. He > does not always ask for help. It is really cool because just touching > him and letting make the movements himself, I can feel how he really has > mastered certain drawing and writing movements...he just doesn't realize > always that he can do it. I also fade my touch whenever possible. > He's a terrific speller (though he can't speak phrases) and appears to > have a perfectionist tendancy when he writes - which is why he likes the > chalk option, too, because he can erase his tiny mistakes with his > finger - this was his auto-correction and was not learned by my having > corrected him...I let him make mistakes for now because perfection is > not the goal at the moment. > > Here's another good article on helping the kids use their hands. I > believe it was originally written with deaf/blind children in mind, but > is applicable to our hypotonic/dyspraxic children's issues, too. Here's > the link > > http://www.lburkhart.com/When_You_Need_Hands.pdf > > ____________________________________________________________ > GET FREE 5GB ONLINE STORAGE - Safely store your documents, photos and > music online! > Visit http://www.inbox.com/storage to find out more! > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 I like handwriting without tears as well. BUT..... no handwriting program would work until we addressed Mark's weak hands and wrists and fingers. Do some handstrengthening if your son suffers hypotonia! As Liz mentioned, core strength is essential to stability on a chair; which, believe it or not, drastically affects handwriting! In our personal experience, speech and handwriting are the biggest obstacles for global dyspraxia. Unfortunately, you don't realize handwriting is an issue until the kids start school. I keep trying to tell parents to work the body core for this very reason. We start working with the hands of our children..... way too late! I have been doing deep pressure with Mark for 2 years now, resestabilishing his sense of 'touch' and his 'feeling' in his hands, we used to do finger strengthening, hand strengthening and core body work. Today we go to the gym and do weight lifting..... but admittedly we've not done much since summer started.... but that is the current plan to continue to work Mark's hands and arms. At 13, he can do 100 sit-ups plus in a sitting but can only do 1 push-up! His hands and arms are very, very weak despite working this area daily for the last 2 years! You need strength in the small muscles of the hand in order to write. You need core stability in order to position yourself in a chair and hold yourself for 7 hours a day upright and strong. You need to motor plan....yes.... but first you need the strength which our kids often don't have. Janice [sPAM][ ] Handwriting Handwriting Without Tears is the best I've ever seen or used! My daughter's OT just got trained using it and I have a set at home I use. The program follows developmentally appropriate practices using wooden pieces to form letters on the floor. I really wish our school district used it instead of pushing the same papers home with dots to write her name. Kristianna is 4 and she has 10 letters in her name! She really isn't ready to write. We are still working on circles, 'Mat Man' (which teaches body awareness) and crossing the midline. You can google it and get more information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 Yep. I see this on the scale of a toddler...one who always ha hand issues. They are improving and his core is strong but he is not even peer appropriate and that will worsen without therapyt. > > I like handwriting without tears as well. > > BUT..... no handwriting program would work until we addressed Mark's weak hands and wrists and fingers. Do some handstrengthening if your son suffers hypotonia! > > As Liz mentioned, core strength is essential to stability on a chair; which, believe it or not, drastically affects handwriting! In our personal experience, speech and handwriting are the biggest obstacles for global dyspraxia. Unfortunately, you don't realize handwriting is an issue until the kids start school. I keep trying to tell parents to work the body core for this very reason. We start working with the hands of our children..... way too late! > > I have been doing deep pressure with Mark for 2 years now, resestabilishing his sense of 'touch' and his 'feeling' in his hands, we used to do finger strengthening, hand strengthening and core body work. Today we go to the gym and do weight lifting..... but admittedly we've not done much since summer started.... but that is the current plan to continue to work Mark's hands and arms. At 13, he can do 100 sit-ups plus in a sitting but can only do 1 push-up! His hands and arms are very, very weak despite working this area daily for the last 2 years! > > You need strength in the small muscles of the hand in order to write. You need core stability in order to position yourself in a chair and hold yourself for 7 hours a day upright and strong. You need to motor plan....yes.... but first you need the strength which our kids often don't have. > > Janice > > > [sPAM][ ] Handwriting > > > Handwriting Without Tears is the best I've ever seen or used! My > daughter's OT just got trained using it and I have a set at home I use. > The program follows developmentally appropriate practices using wooden > pieces to form letters on the floor. I really wish our school district > used it instead of pushing the same papers home with dots to write her > name. Kristianna is 4 and she has 10 letters in her name! She really > isn't ready to write. We are still working on circles, 'Mat Man' (which > teaches body awareness) and crossing the midline. You can google it and > get more information. > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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