Ready, Set, Write!

This specialized program, developed by Abilities’ therapists, addresses handwriting, expressive written language, and dysgraphia issues in school-aged children. Handwriting is an academic skill that allows youngsters to express their thoughts and feelings and communicate their knowledge to others. Classroom teachers depend on written work to measure what children are learning and how well they are learning. The Ready, Set, Write! Program is designed to assist children whose writing skills are preventing them from meeting their academic and communication potential.

Ready, Set, Write! is a unique, multi-disciplinary approach to the remediation of dysgraphia issues, including disorders of penmanship and written language, in school-aged children. Abilities has developed this program utilizing the skills of Occupational Therapists and Speech-Language Pathologists to address each child's needs in the areas of:

The Mechanics of Handwriting/Penmanship, including:

• Pencil grip
• Letter formation
• Visual/perceptual skills
• Fine motor skills
• Posture
• Visual motor integration skills

The Language Processes of Written Composition, including:

• Organization of ideas and information
• Sentence formulation
• Grammar and punctuation
• Incorporating spelling strategies
• Getting the message across

Children who are candidates for participation in this program may:

• Have difficulty with writing tasks
• Write in a slow or labored manner
• Write with frequent reversals past age 5
• Have illegible handwriting
• Have great ideas, but difficulty getting them down on paper
• Consistently make errors in grammar and punctuation
• Avoid or dread written school assignments

Goals of the program include:

• Using an efficient grasp on the writing tool to promote legible letter formation
• Legibly and efficiently completing written school assignments, including spontaneous writing tasks, copying from board and textbook, and writing from dictation, i.e., notetaking
• Self-monitoring written work for neatness and accuracy, making changes as needed
• Learning to formulate written answers to questions
• Writing in complete, grammatically correct sentences
• Organizing information and ideas to convey a message to the reader in a clear, concise manner
• Decreasing frustration and building confidence in all writing tasks

In order to begin the Ready, Set, Write! Program, a child is first evaluated by the Occupational Therapist in the areas of Writing Mechanics and Penmanship. The fee for the OT evaluation is $150 and includes a written evaluation report.

The child then begins to work with the Occupational Therapist on remediation of the identified areas of weakness. These sessions are conducted individually and are billed at the standard therapy rate, and standard payment policies apply. Parents who intend to submit these charges to their insurance carrier must meet with Melanie Carr, our Office Manager, at the time of the evaluation. A prescription from your child's primary care physician is required for occupational therapy services.

Once the Occupational Therapist determines that the child is making satisfactory progress in the areas of Writing Mechanics and Penmanship, she will refer the child to the Speech-Language Pathologist to evaluate the child's Written Language and Composition skills. The fee for the Speech-Language evaluation ranges between $150 and $300 and includes a written evaluation report. Fees will fall at the lower end of the range when the child is only having difficulty with aspects of language that affect writing and composition. Whenever a child also experiences difficulty with oral language skills, spelling, phonemic awareness, auditory processing, reading (decoding and comprehension), vocabulary, etc., a more extensive evaluation will be necessary in order to plan appropriate treatment, and the higher fee will be charged. Again, parents are asked to speak with Melanie Carr prior to, or at the time of the evaluation if they plan to seek insurance benefits for services.

**Please note that your insurance benefits for OT services and Speech-Language services may be very different; some services may be excluded from your policy or reimbursed at different levels/rates. Whenever there is any question about insurance issues, we encourage you to obtain clarification from your insurance company before beginning treatment.

The child then begins to work with the Speech-Language Pathologist on remediation of the identified areas of weakness. These sessions are conducted individually and are billed at the standard therapy rate, and standard payment policies apply.

Part of the success of the Ready, Set, Write! Program lies in our multi-disciplinary approach, and your child's progress will be monitored by both therapists on his/her team. We also encourage parents to take an active role in their child's treatment. Parents are asked to observe therapy whenever possible, and are given frequent feedback on progress as well as suggestions for home carry-over of skills addressed in therapy. Your child's Occupational Therapist may suggest that you purchase writing aids that have been utilized and determined to be effective in your child's therapy sessions. In addition, our therapists will often want to provide feedback and suggestions to your child's teacher(s) to facilitate carryover of skills into the classroom setting. We may do this by written notes, phone consultations, and/or face-to-face conferences. We will require your written release in order to speak to your child's teacher. Should they be necessary, and with your prior consent, face-to-face conferences will be billed at the regular therapy rate. There are no charges for brief phone calls.

The Ready, Set, Write! Program is one more way "We Help Kids Succeed!"

For further information, please contact Stacy Thompson, M.H.S., LOTR or Judy Moock, M.A., CCC-SLP at Abilities at 225.292.4138.