From Scribbles to Success
The Development of Fine Motor Skills and Handwriting for Functional Participation
When: In Person - March 16, 2027
Description
Fine motor and handwriting difficulties are among the most common reasons children are referred for therapy, yet effective intervention requires more than strengthening hands or practicing letters. Clinicians need to understand why children struggle and how to translate assessment findings into meaningful intervention. This practical, evidence-informed workshop explores the developmental progression of fine motor skills from foundational postural control and hand development to dexterity, tool use, handwriting, and functional classroom performance. Participants will learn how to identify the underlying factors contributing to poor fine motor and handwriting skills, differentiate common clinical presentations, and select intervention strategies that target the root cause rather than the symptom.
Designed with immediate clinical application in mind, this workshop is packed with hands-on activities, treatment ideas, therapy progressions, classroom adaptations, home program strategies, and case studies. Participants will leave with practical tools, intervention recipes, and clinical reasoning frameworks they can confidently implement in the clinic, school, and home the very next day.
Outline / Agenda:
9.00 to 10.30am Building the Foundations
Postural stability, Hand development, and Readiness for Fine Motor Skills
10.30 to 11.00am Morning Break
11.00 to 12.30pm Developing Skilled Hands
Dexterity, Precision, and Functional Fine Motor Performance
12.30 to 1.30pm Lunch
1.30 to 3.00pm Developing Efficient Writers
Handwriting, Visual-Motor Integration, and Written Output
3.00 to 3.30pm Afternoon Break
3.30 to 5.00pm From Your Room to the Classroom
Assessment, Intervention, and Functional Participation
Learning Objectives:
- Analyze the developmental foundations of fine motor performance, including postural stability, upper extremity development, sensory processing, and hand function, to identify factors that influence fine motor readiness.
- Differentiate the underlying components of fine motor performance, including dexterity, in-hand manipulation, bilateral coordination, and motor planning, to guide activity selection and intervention planning.
- Examine the relationship between fine motor development, visual-motor integration, and handwriting performance to interpret factors contributing to difficulties with written output.
- Apply evidence-informed assessment findings to select intervention strategies that support children's fine motor development, handwriting performance, and participation in academic, play, self-care, and daily occupations.
Provider Name: The Maude Le Roux Academy
Presenter: Maude Le Roux, OTR/L, SIPT
Bio: Maude Le Roux is a global trainer in multiple methodologies and a mentor to therapists from multidisciplinary teams. She opened her practice, A Total Approach in Glen Mills, PA, USA in 2001, and the satellite office in Allentown, PA in 2023. Maude started her training career in 2007 and opened her online academy in 2019. She has designed the Developmental Pathways Model (DPM), which she applies to her own unique assessment and intervention protocol for major diagnosis such as Dyspraxia, ADHD and Executive Functions, Autism, Reading and Writing Disorders, and Trauma and Attachment. Maude served 9 years on the Board of Directors for ATTACh and currently serves on their Advisory Board. She also serves on the Advisory Board for LSWorks (Neuralign program). She is a co-author of two books and more recently wrote a chapter on Trauma and the Body in “Healing Connections” which launched in September 2024. Maude received an award for “Continued child advocacy” through the ATTACh organization in September 2024. She also received the Champion Award through ICDL in November 2024. Maude has a “whole child” approach to care and intervention and equipping the child, while empowering the parent is at the core of who she is as a clinician and trainer.
Target Audience: Occupational Therapists, Speech Language Pathologists, Physical Therapists, Social Workers, Psychologists, Educators, Parents
Educational Level: Intermediary
Instructional Methods: PowerPoint, Video
Contact Hours: 6 hours
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