The Pencil Grip Original Universal Ergonomic Writing Aid for Righties and Lefties, 6 Count, Assorted Colors (TPG-11106)

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A therapist may have 40, 50, or even 70 students on their school-based OT caseload…and each student will be completely different when it comes to grasp patterns, pencil pressure, positioning of the fingers, preferences, letter formation strokes, executive functioning skills, self-regulation, visual motor skills, sensory preferences, and handwriting considerations. Learners place their thumb and index fingers into the cups, and the middle finger goes into the ring finger of either hand. This type of grip is great for the children that have a thumb wrap grasp which closes up their web space. In the adaptive tripod grasp, the child places the pencil between the index and middle fingers rather than within the traditional web space. Rest assured, the use of the right pencil grip, when coupled with the activities you are using to get to the root of the problem, will help.

W. as it has two cups for the thumb and index fingers, but it has a ring for the placement of the middle finger.

The use of larger pencils and crayons leads to compensatory grasping patterns, as they are too long and too heavy for little hands to grasp and hold for long periods of time.

She is passionate about engaging, empowering, and enabling children to reach their maximum potential in ALL of their occupations as well assuring them that God loves them! The alternative pencil grasp pattern that is successful for many kiddos who simply cannot achieve an efficient grasp is use of an adaptive tripod grasp, or any grasp which enables a functional grip on the pencil. Different types of pencil grips do not help to overcome the root of the inefficient grasp, as these issues must be addressed simultaneously, while implementing the gripper.

She graduated from the OTA program at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute in Hudson, North Carolina with an A. These grip strategies are all discussed further on our page ‘What Does a Good Pencil Grasp Look Like?

This stages of pencil grip poster can be used to help teachers or parents become familiar with the different stages of pencil grip. Helping parents to understand the pencil grip stages and to give their children support when needed. In occupational therapy sessions, the OT practitioner is striving to achieve the most effective and functional pencil grasp for each individual. This means their thumb, index and middle fingers should be on the pencil grip in the appropriate place. The Adaptive Tripod Grip is appropriate to use when low muscle tone or hyper mobility of the finger joints limits pinching and manipulating the pencil.If the child is holding the pencil with their fingers but their grasp is not mature, you can also try the quadruped and alternate tripod grasp. This pencil positioner helps to reposition the pencil within the web space, by pulling the pencil back into the web space, while promoting improved finger placement on the pencil shaft. A pencil grasp only becomes a problem if the child complains of fatigue, pain in their hand, or has difficulty writing neatly and at a reasonable speed (as compared to their peers). Older children using this grasp have not developed the fine motor skills needed to hold onto their pencil with their fingers.

They also have a different texture so can be helpful for children who have some touch sensitivityand don’t like the feel of a wooden pencil. Honestly, this grip is essentially “The Pencil Grip”, with a wing on the front to help prevent the fingers and thumb from wrapping over the pencil shaft.The videos below discuss the pros and cons of some of the commonly available pencil grips in the UK. These can purchased as pictured, but can also be made with or without the charm support, by using two terry cloth hair bands using these directions, or by following the visual sequence for creating one using elastic bands. It will also be available to download within 48 hours, and you can find it either as a new resource, or under 'Alternative versions' above. Make sure to keep an eye on children's pencil grip and help them if they are not progressing as they should be.