Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Would you recommend that a parent purchase a HWT student workbook for home teaching their special needs child's handwriting?

A: A parent is able to purchase HWT student workbooks for use at home. It is recommended that the parent should purchase the teachers guide that accompanies the workbook. The HWT web site at www.hwtears.com has both a products page and parent page for this purpose. A teacher or occupational therapist trained in HWT curriculums should be consulted to advise which workbook is appropriate for a child. A HWT specialist can be extremely helpful to parents by providing parent consultation and direct instruction for the special needs child. A HWT specialist is able to evaluate a child's printing and cursive handwriting abilities to determine areas a child is experiencing difficulty. The specialist is trained to provide a specialize remediation program resulting in improved handwriting skills.

Q: When is it an appropriate time to seek instruction in handwriting from a HWT specialist?

A: A referral to a HWT specialist is appropriate when a child has developed an inefficient pencil grip, when a child has not developed hand dominance by Kindergarten age, when a child is falling behind his peers in handwriting tasks at school, when a child is reversing letters beyond first grade, or when a child's handwriting is difficult to read and he/she is struggling to automatically execute controlled hand written work. An occupational therapist who is a HWT specialist will be able to determine what foundation skills are causing his or her difficulties in handwriting and develop an individualized remediation program to correct the underlying cause.

Q: Does a HWT certified specialist provide handwriting instruction to only children with special needs?

A: No, handwriting instruction is helpful to all children of differing abilities. Some children easily get on the wrong track by developing an inefficient pencil grip or form their letters from bottom to top due to lack of good instruction. Bad habits need to be corrected early before it's too late and more difficult to change learned movement patterns.

Q: Is a HWT certified specialist instruction covered by insurance?

A: No, a certified specialist can be a teacher or occupational therapist that is providing that extra instruction a child needs to learn printing or cursive writing much like music lessons and sports training outside of school. The payment rates are in keeping with the rates charge by HWT's specialist nationally.

Q: Why worry about legibility of handwriting when most people communicate using a keyboard?

A: Each Maryland county board of education requires each public elementary school in the county to provide handwriting instruction that enables students to develop legible print handwriting by the end of third grade and legible cursive handwriting by the end of fifth grade. It is important that a child can automatically write their letters and numbers legibly to be able to concentrate on language arts and math skill development. Handwriting is different from typing. Handwriting is a complex visual perceptual motor skill. Magnetic Resonance Imaging studies of the brain indicate that regions of the brain which involve language, memory and thinking are activated when a child is engaged in handwriting verses using a keyboard for written communication.