08/16/2025
In the school-based model of occupational therapy, fine motor skills are addressed to support a child’s ability to access and participate in their educational program. The focus is on helping students succeed in the classroom by building the foundational skills needed for tasks like writing, cutting, manipulating school tools, and completing daily routines.
Here are some ways school-based OTs work on fine motor skills:
1. Handwriting Support
✏️ Practice letter formation, sizing, spacing, and alignment
✏️ Use multisensory strategies (e.g., tracing in sand, air writing)
✏️ Provide handwriting tools like pencil grips or slant boards
2. Scissor Skills
✂️ Teach how to hold scissors correctly
✂️ Practice cutting along lines, shapes, or crafts
✂️ Use adapted scissors if needed
3. Tool Use & Classroom Materials
📎Practice opening containers, managing zippers/snaps on clothing
📎Support with manipulating glue sticks, rulers, hole punchers, or opening lockers
📎Teach use of adaptive tools (e.g., loop scissors, built-up pencils)
4. Hand Strength & Endurance Activities
🧠 Use play-based tasks (putty, clothespins, tweezers)
🧠 Build in-hand manipulation skills (moving small objects within the hand)
🧠 Strengthen the arches of the hand through cupping and grasping games
5. Visual Motor Integration & Coordination
🧩Coordinate hand and eye movements for copying from the board
🧩Use puzzles, mazes, tracing, and dot-to-dots
🧩Support spacing, line orientation, and visual attention during tasks
6. Embedded Support in the Classroom
🧍 Collaborate with teachers to modify tasks or routines
🧍 Provide movement breaks or classroom strategies that improve attention and participation
🧍 Train staff in fine motor accommodations and tools
Here is more information and resources on school-based OT: https://www.theottoolbox.com/school-occupational-therapy-scope-of-practice/
