Handwriting
Therapy Lab
Integrative Health & Wellness
for Children and Adults
Did you know?
NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH
reveals handwriting over keyboard writing
will positively affect your Child’s capacities for:
READING
Children who learn to handwrite learn to read more quickly, because of increased gains in better at letter recognition and letter sound recognition..
LEARNING & MEMORY
Children who handwrite activate & connect many different brain areas responsible for thought, language, & brain health, resulting in faster learning, better ability to retain information & higher GPA
ATTENTION & CONCENTRATION
Children who practice handwriting develop increased capacity to focus on precise, sensory filled, sequential, intricate fine motor actions. Cursive writing especially supports brain development for higher level thinking, language, and reasoning.
EMOTIONAL REGULATION
Handwriting enhances the same brain areas as those activated by meditation resulting in more positive emotions and a relaxed state. Handwriting practice allows the process to become more automatic enabling your child to devote higher amount of neurological resources to critical thinking and thought organization. Your child will become more intentional and thoughtful in everyday activities.
CREATIVITY
Children who handwrite generate more ideas, have increased facility with language production that is not easily accessible in any other manner
FINE & GROSS MOTOR CONTROL
Handwriting is a complex task involving postural, sensory, motor, perceptual and neuromuscular systems. Handwriting instruction & practice helps develop proximal stability & neuromotor development necessary for distal mobility & fine motor skills required for clear handwriting.
WHAT IS
THE HANDWRITING THERAPY LAB?
Handwriting Therapy Lab believes every child is unique
and therefore individualizes handwriting skills training to your child’s strengths and interests.
Handwriting Therapy Lab uses evidenced-based
and effective task oriented & multi-sensory approaches to develop handwriting competencies.
Handwriting Therapy Lab’s approach utilizes the best practice elements
of Motor Learning Theory and will provide your child with direct instruction,
specific skill training and immediate verbal feedback
Handwriting Therapy Lab uses a dynamic program
which includes the student’s active participation in the learning process
including the skills to self-monitor & score themselves.
This active engagement by the student has been found by the research
to support the learning process by consolidating knowledge
Handwriting Therapy Lab uses a variety of fun strategies
and dynamic tools to promote clear, effortless, efficient handwriting.
Handwriting Therapy Lab offers private sessions
~ at home or virtual ~
where your child will learn the skills and strategies
toward clear, effortless, & efficient handwriting.
Handwriting Therapy Lab Art and Pre-writing Skills
Private individual sessions of 45 minutes each in:
Handwriting Development,
Assessment,
Instruction
and Remediation Private sessions
*Write (printed) the letters of his or her name legibly in the correct case and size
​
*Be able to write (printed) all capital and lower case letters legibly and in correct size
​
*Be able to write all numbers 0 - 10 clearly and in the correct size
​
*Be able to recognize and copy letter, words or phrases depending of age
​
*Write his or her signature, a thank you card, a To Do list, a simple journal entry, short book report and other everyday writing activities appropriate to his or her age/grade
​
*Be able to self-regulate through yoga, relaxation/mindfulness techniques and other simple age appropriate methods that he or she finds helpful
THE PURPOSE of Handwriting Therapy Lab Program
is for your child to be able to:
Initial Evaluation
A printing and writing competency intake designed to get a full picture of child’s printing & writing skills. Strongly suggested to provide therapist therapist with an actual everyday writing sample.
Handwriting Therapy Lab uses a strengths-based approach throughout the entire process. This means, your child will actively participate & share with the therapist his or her needs and perceived handwriting competence. We want to know what your child’s interests are and encourage participation and collaboration throughout the entire evaluative and treatment planning process.
Initial Baseline Assesses:
Posture
Attention
Letter & Number Formation
Additional Screening (when deemed appropriate)
Gross Motor & Visual Attention
Vision Screening
Fine Motor Strength & Dexterity Screening
Memory
WHAT TO EXPECT?
Handwriting Development, Assessment, Instruction
& Remediation Private sessions
While each child learns at his or her own pace, the following is the general 10 Week itinerary:
Uppercase Letters
Lower Case Letters
Numbers
Combination
Upper & Lower Case Letters
Upper & Lower Case Letters & Numbers
Two word phrases
Three to four word phrases
Sentences
Paragraphs
Development and instruction each session
Remediation & feedback where needed
Collaborative progress monitoring throughout
INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS
ART and PRE - WRITING SKILLS
Private Sessions
INITIAL SESSION
A strengths-based assessment where therapist learns about your child’s interests.
Dynamic observation throughout for a baseline assessment:
Overall functional posture
Fine motor dexterity and grip
Overall positioning (proximally & distally)
Overall baseline of spatial temporal vocabulary (which is used for handwriting instruction) & awareness
Additional assessments: BEERY VMI &/or Test of Visual Motor Skills (TVMS-3) if appropriate
INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS
Fine motor & Dexterity
Hand dominance, preference & dominance
Clay & putty exercises and shape formation
Peg board games
Crayon & pencil control & grip developed & supported
Bi-manual actions
Gross Motor
Ability to play games demonstrating & developing body spatial temporal vocabulary ie. Simons says, Go Freeze, developmental yoga
Learning experientially directional terms
Reacting & power actions, standing, sitting, jumping, unskilled reaching actions (ie. balloon volleyball)
Crossing body midline and Bilateral coordination
Child friendly art projects that develop, instruct, & allow for practice in making the nine lines & shapes identified by the research as an indication for writing readiness:
Vertical & Horizontal lines
Curves & Circles
Crosses, Bridges & Ladders
Squares & Rectangles
Right & Left Diagonals
Triangles & X’s
Art Projects include:
Story-based following paths and mazes, identifying through a picture or image start and end of paths & mazes
Learning & Practicing Drawing
Tracing
Coloring skills
Complete drawings if given beginning & end points of images or shapes
Draw cross hatches, dots, shapes
Develop a sense of sequence through shapes & colors
Drawing & art practice to develop visual attention & tracking, visual spatial-relations, & figure-ground discrimination
ART, HANDWRITING & JOURNALING
Adult Sessions
Handwriting, Personality & Destiny
In these sessions you will:
Be introduced to what does history, psychology, & neurobiology tell us about handwriting
Explore the relationship between handwriting and personality
Discover what your handwriting may reveal about your personality
Learn how handwriting can change your destiny
Practice and experience handwriting different letters and words of different well-known public figures
Develop you own handwriting font
Participate in The well written life: Creative journaling to effect positive change in your life
Writing for Wellbeing
In these sessions you will:
Review and learn about the research and history that has proven writing/journaling for wellbeing to be one of the most effective self-help tools for individuals resulting in Individuals being healthier both mentally and physically.
Experience different writing/journaling practices which have proven to be effective to increase everyday reflection, learning, problem solving, sleep quality, decreased pain, goal attainment and self awareness.
Learn and practice mindfulness techniques and gentle chair yoga to better understand and experience the relationship between mindfulness, yoga and writing
Practice and experience several types of writing that contribute to wellbeing and resilience while exploring many methods to support you in this endeavor
Develop an individualized toolbox for yourself to create your own powerful daily writing /journaling practice for total wellbeing
Inner Vision Creative Journaling
In these sessions you will:
Learn the history of creative inner vision journaling from human’s first marks on cave walls, to present day visionaries
Discover the many benefits of inner vision journaling, from being more present in your life, heightened intuition, to feeling more connected to others and source
Explore the many different inner vision journaling possibilities: dream journaling, automatic writing, meditation journal, habit formation, Intentional living etc.
Be guided step-by-step in art techniques to provide you a foundation in pencil drawing & sketching, pastel/charcoal drawing and water color/collage.
If you can imagine it - you can create it: Develop a journal to make real your inner vision of your life purpose
Meet
Dr. Sabrina Castaneda OTD, OTR/L
Doctor in Occupational Therapy
Dr. Sabrina Castaneda OTD, OTR/L is a board certified Doctor in Occupational Therapy. She is a handwriting and integrative health and wellness expert. Sabrina has postgraduate degrees and certifications in Human Development & Family Studies, art therapy, poetry and writing for healing, yoga, Pilates, Sound therapy, and Reiki. She works in private practice working with both adults and children. Sabrina's latest projects include books to support handwriting and creative arts journaling for all ages.