Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapists provide services to infants (0-3 years old), who have or are at risk for developmental delays, and to school age students (3-21 years old) who have motor or sensorimotor challenges that impact their participation in educational activities. They utilize strategies for mental and physical health and well-being by promoting occupation within daily routines through direct intervention, integrated activities, coaching and consultation with school staff and families.

Occupational Therapists provide expertise to teams and students, to improve student performance in learning environments throughout the school (e.g., playgrounds, classrooms, lunchrooms, bathrooms); to help develop participation skills for secondary transition; and optimize student performance throughout the school day through specific adaptations and accommodations.

Handwriting




Northwest AEA prefers to use the Handwriting Without Tears Screener for Handwriting Proficiency. This is used to compare handwriting skills to peers in the same classroom. Screeners should be distributed to the entire class, and students should all be given the same instructions. You can access the screener and create an account to monitor progress at: https://www.lwtears.com/resources/screener-handwriting-proficiency
  • Once you have created a username and password click "Administration Packets" and select the appropriate grade.
  • Print one administration packet.
  • Use your school's copy machine to make the appropriate number of screeners for your classroom.
  • Scoring can be done via the paper sheet provided in the packet.
  • Register your scores online in order to generate graphs to compare your students.

Contact your school's OT regarding students who are outliers and demonstrate areas of concern.

Adaptive Paper:

Pre-Writing Exercises

Tips for helping those with autism construct sentences

If you have a student who is struggling with handwriting, this handout is not a replacement for one-on-one OT intervention. Please contact your school's OT if you are noticing handwriting delays because it could be an indicator of further fine motor delays.