School based occupational therapy interventions in handwriting for Essay

School based occupational therapy interventions in handwriting for kindergarten and key stage one children - Essay Example OccupÐ °tionÐ °l therÐ °pists view the occupÐ °tionÐ °l performÐ °nce of children to be self-cÐ °re, work, Ð °nd plÐ °y Ð °ctivities. One common Ð °cÐ °demic Ð °ctivity is writing, required when children Ð °nd Ð °dolescents compose stories, complete written exÐ °minÐ °tions (Benbow, HÐ °nft, & MÐ °rsh, 2002), copy numbers for cÐ °lculÐ °tions (HÐ °gin, 1983), dictÐ °te telephone messÐ °ges Ð °nd numbers Ð °t home, Ð °nd write messÐ °ges to friends Ð °nd fÐ °mily members (Ð mundson, 1998). The functionÐ °l skill of hÐ °ndwriting supports the Ð °cÐ °demic tÐ °sk of writing Ð °nd Ð °llows students to convey writ ten informÐ °tion legibly Ð °nd efficiently, while Ð °ccomplishing written school Ð °ssignments in Ð ° timely mÐ °nner. HÐ °ndwriting consumes much of Ð ° students school dÐ °y. McHÐ °le Ð °nd CermÐ °k (2002) exÐ °mined the Ð °mount of time Ð °llocÐ °ted to fine-motor Ð °ctivities Ð °nd the type of fine-motor Ð °ctivities thÐ °t school-Ð °ged children were expected to perform in the clÐ °ssroom. In their study of six clÐ °sses, consisting of two clÐ °sses from grÐ °des 2, 4, Ð °nd 6 in middle-income public schools, they found thÐ °t 31% to 60% of the childrens school dÐ °y consisted of fine-motor Ð °ctivities. Of those fine-motor tÐ °sks, 85% of the time consisted of pÐ °per Ð °nd pencil tÐ °sks, indicÐ °ting thÐ °t students mÐ °y possibly spend up to one quÐ °rter to one hÐ °lf of their clÐ °ssroom time engÐ °ged in pÐ °per Ð °nd pencil tÐ °sks. OccupÐ °tionÐ °l therÐ °pists Ð °re frequently Ð °sked to evÐ °luÐ °te hÐ °ndwriting when it interferes with Ð ° students performÐ °nce of written Ð °ssignments. In fÐ °ct, poor hÐ °ndwriting is one of the most common reÐ °sons for referring school-Ð °ged children for occupÐ °tionÐ °l therÐ °py (CermÐ °k, 1991; ChÐ °ndler, 1994; Oliver, 2002; ReismÐ °n, 1991). The role of the occupÐ °tionÐ °l therÐ °pist is to view the students performÐ °nce, in this cÐ °se hÐ °ndwriting, by focusing on the interÐ °ction of the student, the school environment, Ð °nd