Posture and movement control for drawing and handwriting

Common handwriting difficulties in young children

An overview of the of the common problems with drawing and handwriting experienced by children with joint hypermobility (low muscle tone) and developmental coordination disorder (DCD and dyspraxia).
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Shoulder movements for drawing and handwriting

A combination of shoulder and elbow movements are used to position and move the hand on the paper for writing, as well as for drawing medium and long lines and curves.
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Difficulties children have with shoulder control for drawing and handwriting

Children with movement difficulties (low muscle tone, joint hypermobility, DCD, autism) often lack shoulder strength, flexibility and coordination needed for effective control of shoulder movements needed for drawing and handwriting.
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What is an effective pencil grip?

A good pencil allows the child to hold the pencil in the hand in such a way that small movements of the fingers and wrist can be used to move the pencil point in all directions on the paper.
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Pencil grasp pattern/grip and finger movements: what is really important?
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Thumb position for an effective grip

Although many children will spontaneously adopt a dynamic tripod grip, it does not work for every child, and especially not for a child with hypermobile finger joints. Holding the thumb close to the shaft of the pencil seems to work best for these children.
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Training finger movements for drawing and handwriting

Once the child has learned to maintain a reasonably effective way of holding a pencil that provides a stable grip but also allows for small bending and straightening movements of the fingers, the next step is to train finger movements for producing small circles and short lines.
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