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Description
For my Capstone project and Applied Leadership Experience I focused on the importance of handwriting in elementary school children. So, the practice setting I chose to complete my project at was three elementary schools in Petoskey, Michigan. Also, my primary ACOTE focus area for this specific project was program development.
The goals of my capstone includes: Gathering present information (research, work samples, and classroom observation) of pre-writing skills, hand writing skills, and sensory implications of handwriting for students with ASD/SPD, analyze observation notes to target identified factors that are contributing to difficulties in handwriting in students, develop pre-writing skills interventions that have been identified through observations, and develop a program and/or intervention guidelines that support students with handwriting difficulties through improvement of pre-writing skills or aspects of the handwriting process that are difficult for students.
Through collaboration with school professionals and teachers I completed a needs assessment. This needs assessment provided me with data that suggests developing a program and/or protocol that targets pre-writing skills. Teachers and professionals within these elementary schools expressed concerns with several writing skills that when severely underdeveloped, but not yet at the level for occupational therapy intervention can start impacting success in handwriting instruction. Some examples of these pre-writing skills that may be underdeveloped include: poor stamina, poor focus, underdeveloped hand arches, sensory seeking or sensory avoidance, etc.
Through classroom observations, occupational therapy session observations, article review, and teacher and staff interviews I was able to develop a deliverable that is a handout that targets five identified pre-writing skills (fine motor, motor planning, sensory integration, visual motor, and executive function) and layouts simple interventions to start developing these pre-writing skills and help improve success in beginning handwriting instruction.
Throughout my Capstone and ALE experience I was able to demonstrate leadership by educating and providing the three schools I was at with my finished project. I was able to show the school professionals my program development and how to use the “warning signs” as a way to guide the user on what interventions to focus on. I also think my project advanced the profession of occupational therapy by making my final program/protocol development available for all levels of intervention, so available at the individual, small group, and universal level.
My capstone project was able to meet the need that was identified in my needs assessment and literature review. I also think that my capstone project helped me become versed in all handwriting interventions and what warning signs to look for and how handwriting can impact almost all occupations of being a student.
Link to presentation: https://youtu.be/Tj48g4Un0IU
Graduation Date
2026
Keywords
pre-writing, writing, fine motor skills, sensory integration
Disciplines
Occupational Therapy
Degree Type
Book
Site Mentor
Carina Taber OTR/L
Comments
Link to presentation: https://youtu.be/Tj48g4Un0IU