Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Fine motor issues--does your child use a grip?

DS has been using a grip at school since preschool or kindergarten. I'm not sure how much he actually used it in kindergarten and how much he lent it to other kids. He had a grip called the crossover. I gave one to his first grade teacher and within a few weeks, DS had chewed it up. Teacher asked me to send in another one. Next thing I know the school OT had given DS a mechanical pencil that looks like a wishbone. I mentioned this to his private OT, who happened to have one, she watched DS use it, and DS isn't holding it correctly. She suggested putting stickers on it so DS would know where to keep his fingers, but I doubt that he is holding it correctly at school, even if he did put stickers on.

I got a handwriting sample from DS a couple months ago before he started school and his handwriting looked fine and age-appropriate. i don't think he was using a grip. But, of course, he was not holding his pencil correctly. I don't hold a pencil correctly either, and my handwriting is fine. Do you just give up at a certain point and let them hold a pencil wrong (he has his thumb wrapped around the pencil)? I'm wondering if some (most) of his handwriting issues are from being forced to use a mature tripod grasp. He is low tone/weak with hypermobile joints and also has DCD.

DS's handwriting has been deteriorating significantly in first grade and I just can't figure out what is going on, whether it's the grip/pencils, laziness, a teacher who doesn't push him enough or work with him, or ???? DS says he likes using the grip or wishbone pencil but his handwriting is a mess with it.

That is weird that your DS's handwriting is getting worse--what does the private OT say about that?

I never held a pencil correctly either (I still have a huge callus where I hold it against the knuckle of my middle finger), but I think my handwriting is fine. I went to public school my whole life and I don't remember anybody trying to correct my grip (or a lot of other stuff--it's amazing to me how much things have changed).

DD had trouble with writing at her Montessori school in first grade and we took her to a private OT who did a lot of work with these little flip crayons to help DD develop her grasp and also gave her some grips to use. Fortunately that all helped a lot and now she doesn't use grips anymore (I think she used them for about a year, at school). She can write well if she takes her time, but it takes her quite awhile and we were told she has dysgraphia. The psych report recommended accommodating this by allowing her to type, but for some reason her current teacher seems quite cool to this idea. So DD is mucking along with anything that requires writing, but a lot of other stuff about the class is great (including, generally, the teacher) so we're not complaining.

He just started with this OT a couple months ago. I made a copy of the handwriting sample I got from him in Aug. and she was shocked. I also looked back and his old kindergarten papers, and some of them show very nice handwriting. He seems very inconsistent.

I wonder if we should do a trial of no grip, no wishbone, etc., let him hold his pencil however he wants, and see what happens. I think it would also help if the teacher reminded him more often to try to write neatly (without punishing a disability of course). DS can be lazy/unmotivated and if someone is not on his case, he will slack off and not try.

DD5 is not 2e (as far as i know!) but i have noticed that during last year's disastrous Pre-K experience, her grip went from a natural tripod to something very odd where she can barely see what she's doing - her hand covers the letters as she makes them and she is gripping the pencil like her life depends on it. she says she started holding it that way because the other kids last year held their pencils that way (typical DD!) and no one corrected her. that doesn't surprise me at all, since even with this weird grip her handwriting is strangely awesome - neat, regular and very small.

however, she's totally unable to do any kind of sustained writing - after half a sentence, she is cramping from the weird grip and all the stretching she has to do to work it out is really slowing her down. it's driving her crazy not to be able to get her thoughts out faster.

i just ordered some grips for her - i worry more about the ergonomic stuff than the actual output, but i'll post back if it seems like they're making a difference!

I'm sorry to say no one, including us, caught the fact that ds11 had been holding his pencil wrong until his 4th grade teacher noticed. She gave him a grip, but by then it was too late for him to change. This despite the fact that he complained of hand pain and not wanting to write. One of those I-feel-like-a-bad-mother moments.

His handwriting is fine and has always been fine though now I understand at what cost.

KADmom, i can totally relate to that horrible feeling you had - it reminds me of when DD got her glasses - she had major headaches and i never connected it to vision (smacks forehead.) and fwiw, there is no way i would have noticed the grip issue if we hadn't had to start homeschooling this year - i think if the output is ok, it's super hard to know when intervention might be helpful!

I figured out I was holding my pencil wrong in my late thirties (index on the pencil with thumb above the index knuckle,) so many lowered grades for sloppiness and not once did a teacher notice and try to correct my grip... surreal. Corrected, I have more control when I am trying to write neat, but writing continues to be hard work.

DS couldn't figure out pencil grips, but his teacher is talking with the school OT to get strategies as to what she can do to help him with writing (yes, we have an ideal teacher for him.)

Here's the thing about a change in writing quality:
If you are in a certain dysgraphic range, part of the problem is cognitive load. Rather than automatic, you are in constant, conscious control of the writing at the same level focus someone might have while playing Operation.

In fact, there are some cool studies confirming doctors have bad handwriting and surgeons even worse; but at the beginning of their medical education it is normal. My theory: part of the process of becoming a doctor and then a surgeon is practiced, intentional conscious control of their hands which breaks the automaticity a bit.

As the school load increases in complexity and the writing quantity increases, sloppiness ensues. And what is more important: thoughtful, intelligent writing or neat writing? (or getting both with typing)

My DS has always had handwriting issues and strength issues - yet has a beautiful grip. At 3 we worked on it with triangle pencils and pencil grips. So while I agree with Portia and others about the need for the functional grip - there are potentially still problems with the writing that can be remediated in other ways.

For my DS 7 the issues were size, space and quality and shape of the letters. With OT and hard work on his part he has made considerable improvements in some of these issues. The thing that has been most effective for him with size and spacing has been using graph paper - the boxes give him the dimensionality and force him to leave a space between words rather than between letters.Without the boundaries, like on unlined paper, his letters are enormous. This is a problem on worksheets in math - he runs out of room. What has not improved is the use of random capitalization of certain letters - D and B in particular - when doing it lowercase he will often reverse them. And the letters are always different, he has no consistency in remembrance of shape

Interesting that a lot here like mechanical pencils - DS leans on them or uses so much pressure that he breaks lead in them constantly, so much so we stopped having him use them.

Very fortunate this year - DS teacher is not penalizing him for his writing issues - his report card ignored it and gave him the grade his content deserved - I was shocked - that was not the case last year. And DS was so pleased to get the at grade level rating rather than below.

DeHe

Thanks for all the input. DeHe, that is great news about the teacher this year.
I talked to one of the OTs yesterday about my other kid, DD, who has good handwriting when she tries, but she has complained about her fingers/wrist hurting. She presses down really hard. The OT suggested that I give her a mechanical pencil and see if she stops complaining about pain. If the pencil breaks when they press too hard, they learn to not press down so hard (as the theory goes). I asked her if DD should use a pencil grip, since she often holds her pencil the same way as her brother and I (with the pencil in the junction between her thumb and hand, not near the end of her thumb). The OT I talked to hesitated and didn't think it would be necessary for her to use a grip--main thing is getting her to not press down so hard. DS has an OT therapy appt. today (the OT I talked to about DD was a different one) so I will ask more about this, and whether it's really a great idea to push having a perfect grasp given how weak his hands are.

When I tried to use his Crossover grip my writing suddenly became very sloppy and difficult. So I can see what his issue is.

If someone has a recommendation for a grip that they found helpful for their kiddo with weak hands, let me know.

I like this reference at Handwriting Without Tears:
http://www.hwtears.com/files/HoldOnYouHavetoTeachGrip.pdf