Winter 2020

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For some children, however, handwriting
is not just an overlooked method of
communication in the age of computers,
cellphones, and email; but a difficult, if not
impossible, chore complicated by physical
or coordination challenges.
My older son, for example, had fine motor
skills deficits that made handwriting an
extraordinarily time-consuming task. And
legible handwriting? Pretty much impossible for
him. His first IEP mentioned “control deficit”.
The school district at the time sent nobody to his
first IEP meeting to explain what that meant. A
reading teacher friend of my mother later told
me that it probably meant my son had trouble
holding a pencil (rather than the temper tantrums
I had envisioned).
This program is used by therapists in a variety of
settings, such as public schools and private therapy
programs. Chicago area Timber Ridge Pediatric
Therapy, LLC, for example, lists Handwriting
Without Tears® as one of its services on
their website.
There are a variety of strategies and programs
to help children and adults (with or without
disabilities) develop and improve their handwriting
skills. Handwriting Without Tears®, for example,
For more information about Handwriting Without
Tears®, please visit ashleyjaynahwt.weebly.com
and/or lwtears.com/hwt
is widely used by schools, home-schooling
programs, and therapists. Handwriting Without
Tears® was developed by occupational therapist
Jan Olsen and takes into account developmental
needs for individuals of all ages when they are
learning how to write.
To reach Stacey Montgomery, you can visit her
website, staceymdesign.com. She maintains a blog;
several articles on the blog address challenges
related to the COVID-19 virus for children, teens,
and adults. M
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