Fine Motor and Handwriting – How Occupational Therapy Can Help Kids and Adults Thrive

Fine motor fun

Fine motor skills are essential for everyday life. Whether it’s zipping up a jacket, using cutlery, typing on a keyboard, or writing your name, these small, precise movements of the hands and fingers play a big role in independence, learning, and participation.

When fine motor skills are delayed or impaired—whether in children or adults—tasks that should be simple become frustrating and fatiguing. This can lead to reduced confidence, poor academic performance, and challenges in self-care or employment.

Occupational therapists (OTs) are experts in assessing and supporting the development of fine motor skills and handwriting. In this blog, we’ll explore what fine motor skills are, how handwriting develops, signs of difficulty, and practical OT-backed strategies you can try at home.

What Are Fine Motor Skills?

Fine motor skills involve the coordination of small muscles in the hands, wrists, and fingers, often in combination with visual input (called visual-motor integration). These skills are required for:

• Holding and using a pencil or pen

• Tying shoelaces

• Buttoning shirts or fastening zippers

• Using scissors or cutlery

• Typing or using a touchscreen

• Opening containers or food packaging

Strong fine motor control allows for accuracy, speed, and endurance. When these skills are delayed, children may struggle to keep up in school, and adults may find work or home tasks more difficult.

Handwriting and Occupational Therapy

Handwriting is a complex process that combines:

• Postural control

• Shoulder stability

• Hand and finger strength

• Bilateral coordination

• Visual perception

• Pencil grasp and pressure control

• Letter formation and spacing

OTs assess each of these components to determine where challenges may be occurring. For example, a child may have poor letter formation not because they don’t understand the alphabet, but because their pencil grip is immature or their visual tracking is underdeveloped.

Adults may also seek handwriting support after neurological injury, arthritis, or other conditions affecting fine motor control.

Signs a Child May Need OT Support for Fine Motor or Handwriting Skills

If your child:

• Avoids drawing, colouring, or handwriting tasks

• Has an awkward pencil grasp

• Writes with poor spacing, alignment, or letter size

• Tires quickly when writing or complains of hand pain

• Struggles with cutting, using buttons, or tying shoelaces

• Holds their arm stiffly or moves their whole arm when writing

…they may benefit from occupational therapy. Early support can prevent frustration and help children participate more confidently in school and play.

OT Activities to Improve Fine Motor Skills

Occupational therapists use engaging, play-based activities that build strength, coordination, and control. Some examples include:

• Therapy putty or playdough to build hand strength

• Tweezer games and pegboards for pincer grip

• Threading beads or lacing cards to improve dexterity

• Scissor skill activities to develop bilateral coordination

• Drawing shapes and tracing lines to improve pre-writing skills

OTs may also recommend commercial programs like:

• Handwriting Without Tears

• The Write Start Program

• Size Matters Handwriting Program

Handwriting Support Tips for Home

Even small changes can make a big difference:

✏️ Use the Right Tools

• Try shorter pencils or triangle pencils for better grip

• Pencil grips can help support correct finger placement

• Use slant boards or vertical surfaces to promote wrist extension

🪑 Check Posture and Seating

• Feet should be flat on the floor

• Hips and knees should be at 90 degrees

• The table should be at elbow height

🧠 Add Multi-Sensory Learning

• Use sand, shaving cream, or chalk to practice letters

• Write in the air with large arm movements to build motor memory

🖐️ Practice Hand Strength Daily

• Activities like squeezing sponges, scrunching paper, or opening jars help build the muscles needed for writing.

Fine Motor Skills Aren’t Just for Kids

Adults recovering from stroke, hand injury, or neurological conditions may also benefit from fine motor retraining. Occupational therapists can assist with:

• Regaining grip strength

• Adapting tools and utensils

• Improving handwriting for work

• Training for alternative writing methods (e.g. voice-to-text or keyboarding)

How an OT Assessment Works

At South Coast Therapy & Support Group, our OTs conduct thorough assessments to understand each client’s strengths and needs. This may include:

• Observation of tasks like writing, cutting, and dressing

• Standardised fine motor assessments

• Goal setting with the client and family

• Development of a tailored therapy plan

• Ongoing review and support at home, school, or work

Want to Help Your Child or Yourself Thrive with Fine Motor Skills?

Don’t let handwriting frustration or fine motor difficulties hold your child—or yourself—back. Occupational therapy provides supportive, practical, and effective strategies to boost independence and confidence.

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We welcome referrals from parents, schools, GPs, and self-referring NDIS participants.