[PI-2-4] The perspective of using sensorimotor intervention and handwriting template for children with handwriting difficulties
Background
Handwriting improvement is related not only to training the motor skill but also to how memory and orthographic processes work together to remember the letterforms and translate these figures onto the page automatically. In addition, various performance components associated with sensorimotor intervention for handwriting include kinaesthesia, motor planning, eye-hand coordination, visual-motor integration, visual perceptual, hand manipulation, cognitive, and tactile. Moreover, handwriting interventions, including handwriting practices such as using the grid, are more effective than intervention not including it. Therefore, the handwriting template could be assumed as a combination of sensorimotor intervention and handwriting practices. This study aims to find out the occupational therapist's (OT’s) perspective on using sensorimotor intervention with Arabic handwriting template in handwriting intervention.
Methods
This study conducted a semi-structured individual interviews, through purposive sampling, with OTs that have experiences in providing handwriting interventions in Indonesia. The OTs were asked about their perspective on providing a handwriting template combined with sensorimotor intervention for children with handwriting difficulties. The data was analyzed by inductive content analysis. This study was granted ethical approval by the University ethics committee where the authors affiliated, and all participants provided informed consent before their involvement. There is no COI status to be disclosed.
Results
Five OTs with an average of 12 years’ experience participated in this study. Data were analyzed based on two aspects; OT's experience in providing sensorimotor interventions to improve handwriting skills and OT's perspective in using handwriting template combined with sensorimotor intervention for children with handwriting difficulties. The advantages are the template helpful for the children due to the ease of following patterns and a guide on how to write the letters. However, the disadvantage is the template may not be effective for prolonged use. Also, it found that would be better if some parts of the current template were improved such as for advanced connected characters and smooth enough shape for characters’ curve.
Discussion
From the OTs’ perspective, using the template with sensorimotor intervention might be helpful for children because it facilitates sensorimotor such as tactile and visual-motor integration and also could be a feasible assistive device for handwriting of Arabic characters. However, prolonged use might not be efficient for children’s handwriting improvement because it might only be training the child’s motor skills, and not consider their perceptive or cognitive abilities; the current template is only consist of basic Arabic characters. With the current template development, some characters’ curve and connected characters should be considered for providing handwriting intervention by template
Handwriting improvement is related not only to training the motor skill but also to how memory and orthographic processes work together to remember the letterforms and translate these figures onto the page automatically. In addition, various performance components associated with sensorimotor intervention for handwriting include kinaesthesia, motor planning, eye-hand coordination, visual-motor integration, visual perceptual, hand manipulation, cognitive, and tactile. Moreover, handwriting interventions, including handwriting practices such as using the grid, are more effective than intervention not including it. Therefore, the handwriting template could be assumed as a combination of sensorimotor intervention and handwriting practices. This study aims to find out the occupational therapist's (OT’s) perspective on using sensorimotor intervention with Arabic handwriting template in handwriting intervention.
Methods
This study conducted a semi-structured individual interviews, through purposive sampling, with OTs that have experiences in providing handwriting interventions in Indonesia. The OTs were asked about their perspective on providing a handwriting template combined with sensorimotor intervention for children with handwriting difficulties. The data was analyzed by inductive content analysis. This study was granted ethical approval by the University ethics committee where the authors affiliated, and all participants provided informed consent before their involvement. There is no COI status to be disclosed.
Results
Five OTs with an average of 12 years’ experience participated in this study. Data were analyzed based on two aspects; OT's experience in providing sensorimotor interventions to improve handwriting skills and OT's perspective in using handwriting template combined with sensorimotor intervention for children with handwriting difficulties. The advantages are the template helpful for the children due to the ease of following patterns and a guide on how to write the letters. However, the disadvantage is the template may not be effective for prolonged use. Also, it found that would be better if some parts of the current template were improved such as for advanced connected characters and smooth enough shape for characters’ curve.
Discussion
From the OTs’ perspective, using the template with sensorimotor intervention might be helpful for children because it facilitates sensorimotor such as tactile and visual-motor integration and also could be a feasible assistive device for handwriting of Arabic characters. However, prolonged use might not be efficient for children’s handwriting improvement because it might only be training the child’s motor skills, and not consider their perceptive or cognitive abilities; the current template is only consist of basic Arabic characters. With the current template development, some characters’ curve and connected characters should be considered for providing handwriting intervention by template