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Children's handwriting difficulties

Find out how we can help

Good handwriting is an essential life skill, and the building block for success at school

A child struggling with handwriting may soon become frustrated and lose motivation. Proactive, early action ensures that their difficulties are addressed quickly and minimises the impact on their progress at school.

We regularly assist children with handwriting difficulties and have developed our own programme which can be delivered at home and/or school. And when we help a child with their handwriting, we typically observe improvements in other areas of development too, including their academic progress and behaviour.

How OT's help

Whether your child's school has identified that their handwriting is falling behind that of their peers, or you have noticed such difficulties yourself, we can help. Parents contact us for a variety of reasons related to handwriting, but some of the most common difficulties to which it may contribute include:

  • Difficulty remembering how to form letters or in copying from a book or whiteboard
  • Poor spacing and positioning of letters and words
  • Discomfort in gripping a pencil for any length of time
  • Weak fine motor skills, hand strength and dexterity
  • An unwillingness to complete written homework
  • Difficulties concentrating, or poor behavior in the classroom that is less evident in the playground
  • Excessive tiredness after short periods of writing

Our assessment process allows a specialist occupational therapist to identify the nature of your child's difficulties with handwriting, and the reasons for them. Once identified, we can work with you and your child to put in place a plan to address them.

Packages of care

We are flexible around the needs of your child and family and have a variety of handwriting treatment packages to ensure we provide the right solution for you. All of our interventions are oriented towards ensuring that you and your child see measurable improvements.

This might include one or more of the following:

  • An eight-week block of one-to-one bespoke handwriting treatment sessions, delivered to your child at home or school, after which we will review and plan the next steps with you
  • An intensive block of treatment delivered over the holidays - this is popular with overseas families, or those with limited weekend or after-school capacity in term time
  • A home and school programme providing practical, everyday techniques, with advice and support to ensure that the approach is consistent throughout your child's day
  • Attendance at a handwriting group at weekends or over the holidays

Common areas we work on

Through our assessment we will identify the specific areas of handwriting that your child is struggling with, and the source of these difficulties, allowing us to plan a targeted treatment programme.

Some of the most common areas that we would expect to be working on include:

  • Developing a mature pencil grip
  • Assuming and maintaining an effective seating posture
  • Correct letter formation
  • Development of pre-writing and copying skills
  • Activities to increase core and shoulder stability
  • Fine motor skills, hand strength and dexterity
  • Organisation and presentation of work on the page
  • Working with parents and schools to ensure that the right approaches to handwriting continue even when the OT is not present

Schools, LEAs and businesses

Is your organisation looking for professional OT services?

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Common conditions we help with

Find out more about how our OT’s can help by visiting our pages dedicated to specific conditions associated with handwriting difficulties.

Why The OT Practice

We recognise the importance of knowing that you and your child are in safe hands. That is why, when you first make contact with us, you will straightaway be able to explain your concerns to a member of our client management team who will be able to provide relevant information about our services, answer any questions you may have and provide guidance on next steps. This dedicated paediatric team will then remain in charge of your case through any subsequent assessment and treatment we provide.

Other reasons to rely on The OT Practice include:

  • We visit you and your child at home or school at a time convenient for you, with no clinics or waiting lists, offering after-school and weekend appointments where necessary
  • We devise home and school-based treatment plans to ensure that our assessment and advice is relevant to each child’s unique environment
  • Our nationwide network of registered children’s occupational therapists allows us to find you the right local therapist
  • Intensive treatment available during the school holidays
  • We believe our role is to equip you and your child to become as autonomous as possible – ultimately independent of, and not dependent upon, the help we provide

Services for businesses, organisations and the public sector

Schools

Delivering individual or group therapy for children, or advice and training to up-skill members of staff.

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Local education authorities

Occupational therapy provision at home or school as recommended in an EHCP or Statement on behalf of LEA's.

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Healthcare concierge

Assessment and treatment services for clients in their own homes both in the UK and internationally.

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Next steps

Initial enquiry

During your initial call to us you can discuss your concerns with a member of our paediatric client management team, who will be able to understand what your child's difficulties are, provide information and advice on our services and identify the right OT from our team.

Quote

If therapist input is recommended, we will send you a detailed quote via email or in writing explaining what, after a full assessment, we propose and how much it would cost, as well as rates for further work that might be recommended in the future.

Referral

Once you have had time to consider the options and costs, and if you would like to go ahead, the next step would be to fill in our online referral form. In the meantime, if you have further concerns or questions then our client manager will be happy to discuss them with you.

Assessment

Our therapist will then contact you within 24 hours to arrange an assessment visit at home or school, a mixture of formal and observational methods - as well as conversation with yourself, your child and their school - after which you will receive a comprehensive written report.

Advice

The report will include a clear record of our findings and recommendations, together with practical advice on how to help your child. Where additional involvement is required, we will follow up the report with a detailed quotation so that you have all the information needed to make an informed decision.

As Private Occupational Therapists our aim is to provide choices and guidance to help you decide what the best options are for you

A few of our handwriting specialists

Meet a selection of our occupational therapists who specialise in helping children with hand writing difficulties

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Sarah

West Sussex, South East of England

Sarah supports children with autism, ADHD, developmental coordination difficulties and complex sensory needs through personalised Occupational Therapy interventions.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

South East of England, West Sussex

Specialisms

Paediatrics

Further qualifications

CO-OP Practitioner

Specialist skills

Daily living skills, Sensory integration, Gross motor skills, Fine motor skills, Handwriting assessment & treatment, Co-ordination, Self care, School Based Therapy/Support

Fran

Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland

Working in the North East of England, Fran is a dedicated Occupational Therapist specialising in housing & equipment.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

North East England, North Yorkshire, Newcastle upon Tyne

Specialisms

Paediatrics, Housing and Equipment, Moving and Handling

Further qualifications

Sensory Integration

Specialist skills

DFG Assessments

Rosie

Nottingham, Derbyshire

Rosie provides child-centred Occupational Therapy supporting sensory processing, emotional regulation and developmental skills.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

East Midlands, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire

Specialisms

Paediatrics, Seating and Postural management, Functional rehabilitation, Moving and Handling

Further qualifications

Sensory Integration, CO-OP Practitioner

Specialist skills

Fatigue management, Daily living skills, Community access, Sensory integration, Gross motor skills, Fine motor skills, Behaviour management, Handwriting assessment & treatment, Visual perception, Balance, Co-ordination, Self care, Postural management, DMO (Lycra) Splinting, School Based Therapy/Support, Splinting, Sign Language, Learning disability, TBI

Vera

London - South, London

Vera supports infants, children and young people across South London, specialising in sensory processing, developmental needs and independence.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

London , London - South

Specialisms

Paediatrics

Further qualifications

CO-OP Practitioner

Specialist skills

Daily living skills, Gross motor skills, Fine motor skills, Handwriting assessment & treatment, Self care, School Based Therapy/Support

Kyla

London - South, Surrey

Kyla is an experienced Occupational Therapist supporting children and adults with neurological, physical and developmental needs across Surrey and London.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

London, South East of England, Surrey, London - Central, London - South, London - West

Specialisms

Paediatrics, Neurological rehabilitation

Hannah

London - South, Surrey

Based in London, Hannah is an experienced Rehabilitation Occupational Therapist supporting children, adults and older people with complex clinical needs.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

London , London - South

Specialisms

Paediatrics, Seating and Postural management, Functional rehabilitation, Moving and Handling, Neurological rehabilitation

Specialist skills

Fatigue management, Daily living skills, Gross motor skills, Fine motor skills, Planning & execution, Self care, Postural management, Splinting, TBI

Leisa

London

Based in London, Leisa is an experienced Paediatric Occupational Therapist specialising in sensory integration, emotional regulation and school-based Occupational Therapy.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

London, Kent

Specialisms

Paediatrics

Further qualifications

Sensory Integration

Katy

Cheshire, North West England

Supporting every stage of childhood, Katy specialises in paediatric Occupational Therapy across North West England.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

North West England, Cheshire, Merseyside

Specialisms

Paediatrics, Functional rehabilitation

Specialist skills

Gross motor skills, Fine motor skills, Handwriting assessment & treatment, Visual perception, School Based Therapy/Support

Amy

Lancashire, North West England

Amy is a Paediatric Occupational Therapist and Sensory Integration Practitioner supporting neurodiverse children across North West England.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

North West England, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire

Specialisms

Paediatrics, Functional rehabilitation

Further qualifications

Sensory Integration

Specialist skills

Routine planning, Daily living skills, Community access, Sensory integration, Gross motor skills, Fine motor skills, Handwriting assessment & treatment, Visual perception, Balance, Co-ordination, Planning & execution, Self care, Social integration, School Based Therapy/Support, Learning disability

Bethany

Manchester, Greater Manchester

Bethany is an experienced Occupational Therapist specialising in Sensory Integration, Mental Health, Neurodiversity and Paediatrics across North West England.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

North West England, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Liverpool, Manchester, Salford

Specialisms

Paediatrics, Functional rehabilitation

Further qualifications

Sensory Integration

Specialist skills

Sensory integration, Mental Health

Nicola

Bristol, Avon

Helping children build confidence and independence, Nicola specialises in paediatric occupational therapy, sensory processing and early years development.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

West and South West of England, Avon, Bristol, Bristol, Bath

Specialisms

Paediatrics, Seating and Postural management, Functional rehabilitation, Moving and Handling

Alexis

Norfolk, East Anglia

Alexis provides Occupational Therapy services in Rehabilitation, Housing and Equipment, Moving and Handling, Paediatrics, and Neurological Rehabilitation across East Anglia.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

East Midlands, East Anglia, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk

Specialisms

Paediatrics, Housing and Equipment, Functional rehabilitation, Moving and Handling, Neurological rehabilitation

Specialist skills

Blue Badges / Mobility Assessments, Routine planning, Daily living skills, Sensory integration, Gross motor skills, Fine motor skills, Behaviour management, Handwriting assessment & treatment, Visual perception, Balance, Co-ordination, Planning & execution, Self care, Postural management, School Based Therapy/Support, TBI

Claire

Brighton, East Sussex

Claire is a Paediatric Occupational Therapist specialising in supporting children with developmental, behavioural, and sensory challenges across the South East.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

London, South East of England, East Sussex, Essex, Kent, London - Central, London - South, London - East, London - West, Brighton

Specialisms

Paediatrics

Further qualifications

Sensory Integration

Specialist skills

Sensory integration, Gross motor skills, Fine motor skills, Self care, Learning disability

Rosie

Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Rosie is a Specialist Paediatric Occupational Therapist and Sensory Integration Practitioner offering services across the East Midlands.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

East Midlands

Specialisms

Paediatrics, Functional rehabilitation

Further qualifications

Sensory Integration, Sensory Attachment Therapy

Specialist skills

Routine planning, Daily living skills, Sensory integration, Gross motor skills, Fine motor skills, Behaviour management, Balance, Co-ordination, Planning & execution, School Based Therapy/Support, Sensory attachment intervention, Learning disability, Mental Health

Rachel

Hertfordshire, South of England

Rachel is a Paediatric Occupational Therapist supporting children in the South of England with diverse developmental, behavioural, and learning challenges.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

London, South of England, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire

Specialisms

Paediatrics, Functional rehabilitation

Specialist skills

Routine planning, Daily living skills, Sensory integration, Gross motor skills, Fine motor skills, Handwriting assessment & treatment, Co-ordination, Planning & execution, Self care, School Based Therapy/Support, Anxiety management & relaxation, Mental Health

Janet

London - South, Kent

Janet is an expert Occupational Therapist specialising in paediatrics and neurological rehabilitation, she works with children at home and school.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

London, South East of England, Kent, London - Central, London - South, London - East

Specialisms

Paediatrics, Functional rehabilitation, Neurological rehabilitation

Further qualifications

Therapeutic listening

Specialist skills

Daily living skills, Gross motor skills, Fine motor skills, Handwriting assessment & treatment, Visual perception, Balance, Co-ordination, Self care, Social integration, School Based Therapy/Support, Learning disability

Jennifer

West Sussex, South East of England

Trained in Sensory Integration, Specialist Paediatric Occupational Therapist Jennie, offers services to paediatric clients in Surrey, Sussex, Southampton and Portsmouth.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

South East of England, East Sussex, Surrey, West Sussex

Specialisms

Paediatrics

Further qualifications

Sensory Integration, CO-OP Practitioner

Specialist skills

Daily living skills, Sensory integration, Gross motor skills, Fine motor skills, Handwriting assessment & treatment, Visual perception, Balance, Co-ordination, Self care, Postural management, School Based Therapy/Support

Stephanie

Nottinghamshire, East Midlands

Stephanie, an accomplished Occupational Therapist residing in Nottinghamshire, serving regions across the north of England and the midlands.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

North West England, North East England, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, West Midlands, East Midlands, West and South West of England, East Anglia, London, Wales

Specialisms

Paediatrics, Housing and Equipment, Seating and Postural management, Moving and Handling

Further qualifications

Sensory Integration

Specialist skills

Pain management, Sensory integration, Gross motor skills, Fine motor skills, Social integration, Learning disability

Sam

OT Sam has 25 years experience, and specialises in pediatrics, brings a wealth of experience to her clients.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

Specialisms

Paediatrics

Patricia

London - South, London

Patricia provides specialist Paediatric Occupational Therapy, SEND reports, EHCP assessments and Tribunal support across London.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

London , London - Central, London - North, London - South, London - East, London - West

Specialisms

Paediatrics

Further qualifications

Sensory Integration, BOBATH, AMPS, CO-OP Practitioner

Specialist skills

Fatigue management, Daily living skills, Community access, Sensory integration, Gross motor skills, Fine motor skills, Handwriting assessment & treatment, Co-ordination, Planning & execution, Self care, Postural management, School Based Therapy/Support, Sign Language, Makaton, Anxiety management & relaxation, Learning disability, Mental Health

Kathy

Londonderry, Northern Ireland

Based in Northern Ireland, highly skilled occupational therapist Kathy specialises in paediatrics where she helps children with various conditions.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

Northern Ireland

Specialisms

Paediatrics

Carolina

London - North, London

Based in London, Carolina specialises in Paediatric Occupational Therapy, helping children thrive through neurodiversity-affirming practice.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

London , London - Central, London - North, London - East, London - West

Specialisms

Paediatrics, Seating and Postural management

Further qualifications

CO-OP Practitioner

Specialist skills

Fatigue management, Routine planning, Daily living skills, Gross motor skills, Fine motor skills, Behaviour management, Handwriting assessment & treatment, Visual perception, Balance, Co-ordination, Planning & execution, Self care, Postural management, School Based Therapy/Support, Learning disability

Sue

Gloucestershire, West and South West of England

As an OT with nearly 40 years of experience, Sue is an expert in paediatrics; vocational and functional rehabilitation.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

West Midlands, West and South West of England, Wales, Avon, Bristol, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Wiltshire, Worcestershire

Specialisms

Paediatrics, Vocational Rehabilitation, Functional rehabilitation

Further qualifications

Sensory Integration

Specialist skills

Fatigue management, Pain management, Motivational issues, Financial management, Daily living skills, Sensory integration, Gross motor skills, Fine motor skills, Handwriting assessment & treatment, Visual perception, Balance, Co-ordination, Self care, School Based Therapy/Support, Learning disability

Jessica

London - North, Middlesex

With a neurodiverse-affirming approach, Jessica helps children with autism, ADHD, sensory processing and everyday functional skills.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

London, South East of England, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, London - North

Specialisms

Paediatrics

Specialist skills

Daily living skills, Fine motor skills, Handwriting assessment & treatment, Co-ordination, Self care, School Based Therapy/Support

Emily

Cornwall, West and South West of England

Emily is a dedicated Occupational Therapist with a specialization in pediatrics, she works in the West and Southwest of England.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

London, Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, Herefordshire, Somerset, Wiltshire

Specialisms

Paediatrics

Specialist skills

Fatigue management, Daily living skills, Community access, Fine motor skills, Balance, Co-ordination, Planning & execution, Self care, Social integration, Postural management, School Based Therapy/Support, Anxiety management & relaxation, Learning disability

Michelle

Surrey, South East of England

Helping children thrive through Certified Sensory Integration therapy, Michelle specialises in sensory processing, autism, ADHD and everyday independence.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

South East of England, Surrey, London - South, London - West

Specialisms

Paediatrics

Further qualifications

Sensory Integration, The Listening Programme

Specialist skills

Routine planning, Daily living skills, Sensory integration, Fine motor skills, Handwriting assessment & treatment, Visual perception, Balance, Co-ordination, Planning & execution, Self care, Postural management, School Based Therapy/Support, Anxiety management & relaxation

Esther

London

Paediatric Occupational Therapist Esther works in London.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

London

Specialisms

Paediatrics

Jo

London

Jo is a paediatric physiotherapist providing expert assessments and treatment for children across London and the home counties.

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Profession

Physiotherapy

Regions covered

London, South East of England, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, London - West

Specialisms

Paediatrics

Further qualifications

BOBATH

Specialist skills

Gross motor skills, School Based Therapy/Support

Pippa

Gloucestershire, West and South West of England

Supporting adults and children across South West England, Pippa specialises in functional rehabilitation, equipment provision and housing adaptations.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

West and South West of England

Specialisms

Paediatrics, Housing and Equipment, Functional rehabilitation

Laura

Hertfordshire, South of England

Laura is a Paediatric Occupational Therapist specialising in sensory processing, fine motor skills, handwriting, self-care and functional independence.

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Profession

Occupational Therapy

Regions covered

London, South East of England, Hertfordshire, London - North, London - West

Specialisms

Paediatrics

Client feedback

Further reading

Our Experts' Blog

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Occupational therapists are well-trained for analysing contributing factors impacting handwriting development and creating bespoke interventions and support plans for a child when required. In this article we look at the challenges and explore some of the solutions.

Read more

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Pocket Guide to Fine Motor Development in Early Years

Our Clinical Lead Emma shares with the paediatric OT community a helpful check list for fine motor skill development in 2-5 year olds. This provides useful guidance and example activity ideas that paediatric OTs can use to when observing children interacting with their environment.

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