Handwriting Without Tears-A Short-Term Intervention for Children Living in a Homeless Shelter

A quantitative investigation was conducted to identify handwriting deficits in first and second grade children living in a homeless shelter and to determine the potential change that can be produced using a short term handwriting intervention. A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design was used...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of occupational therapy, schools & early intervention schools & early intervention, 2008-12, Vol.1 (3-4), p.271-282
Main Authors: Schultz-Krohn, Winifred, Boener, Amara, Dinh, Huy, Phelan, Monica
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Handwriting
homeless children
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:A quantitative investigation was conducted to identify handwriting deficits in first and second grade children living in a homeless shelter and to determine the potential change that can be produced using a short term handwriting intervention. A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design was used to assess baseline and post intervention handwriting skills with the standardized Minnesota Handwriting Assessment. The Handwriting Without Tears program was implemented for 12 sessions with a duration of approximately 15 minutes per session. The results of this study indicated that a high percentage of homeless children would benefit from handwriting intervention. The 15 students who did complete the program demonstrated improved handwriting skills. Handwriting skills contribute to academic performance and participation in educational occupations. Improving handwriting skills in homeless children can support their participation in the school arena.
ISSN:1941-1243
1941-1251
DOI:10.1080/19411240802589338