Professional Services

Fine and Gross Motor Skills

Do you have concerns about your child's fine or gross motor motor skills?

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Does your child struggle using tools such as scissors, pencils, cutlery etc?

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Does your child tend to trip or drop things more often than their peers?

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Does your child struggle with catching and throwing a ball, or riding a scooter or bike?

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Do you wonder if your child might have coordination difficulties or Dyspraxia?

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Does your child have developmental delays causing difficulties in fine or gross motor skills?

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If you said yes to any of the above then I can help. Knowing whether your child's abilities are within typical parameters for other children their age can be reassuring and helpful in identifying if a diagnosis might be appropriate. It can also help to target specifically which areas to look more closely at for therapeutic intervention.

At Merlin Occupational Therapy I can complete a standardised assessment which will give you that concrete data.

Alternatively, I can assess less formally via observations and give you feedback and guidance as to the next steps that will help your child progress and thrive.

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I also offer online video courses to help you provide the right help at home. I'm here to get alongside you in whatever way you prefer to support your child. You are the expert on your child. I'm here to serve you and make therapy workable in your unique situation. 

Handwriting

Is your child is experiencing difficulty with handwriting?

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Does your child seem to be behind their peers?

Is he or she struggling with particular aspects of the handwriting task but you aren't sure exactly why?

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Do they have an awkward pencil grip but you hope they will figure it out as they grow?

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Does your child dislike or feel switched off from learning handwriting or letter formation?

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Often a single session can identify what the cause of the difficulty is and give you tips and strategies to carry on with by yourself.

Catching problems early make a huge difference. Research shows that once a pencil grip is established and fixed it is very difficult to remedy later on. I can give you assurance of what the situation is and whether your child's handwriting skills need attention or are "on track".

I can offer interventions to remediate any problems at home, in clinic or with online training to address this at home. 

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My graduating thesis (for which I won an award for the best in year, all be it many years ago) was on the topic of Handwriting and DCD. Since then I have built a wealth of experience in this area. I am also trained in several handwriting systems so I can adapt to what your child is being taught in their school environment.  

HANDWRITING WITHOUT TEARS

I am trained in the exceptionally well regarded Learning Without Tears (LWT) system, formally known as "Handwriting Without Tears" (HWT). I am particularly passionate about this use of this system for children who have perceptual delay, learning delay, Sensory Processing difficulties that affect their ability to learn or Autism Spectrum Condition. I've never met a child who didn't love it!