1. Pencil Grasp Red Flags
- Using both hands on the writing utensil at the same time
- Switching between grasp patterns frequently when writing, drawing, or coloring
- Switching hands frequently during writing, drawing, coloring tasks due to fatigue
- Using the whole hand to grasp the writing utensil instead of the fingers
2. Handwriting Red Flags
- Difficulty controlling writing utensils, resulting in messy or illegible handwriting
- Using very light pressure on writing utensils, resulting in marks that are not dark enough to read or pressing too hard causing the paper to rip or the pencil tip to break frequently.
3. Scissor Skill Red Flags
- Scissors appearing to “fall off” the fingers instead of being firmly secured in the hand
- -Scissors “getting stuck” in the paper, with the child struggling to open them against the friction of the paper
- Attempting to hold scissors using both hands at the same time
- Frequently switching hands to grasp scissors during cutting tasks
- Difficulty with continuous cutting across a paper (struggling with repeated open/close motion)
4. Clothing Management Red Flags
- Inability to grasp and pull elastic of socks open to get foot inside
- Inability to grasp and pull waistband of pants up and down over hips
- Difficulty with holding shoes open to push foot inside
- Shoelaces tied correctly, but always coming undone because they’re not tied tightly
- Unable to grasp firmly on buttons/zipper/snaps to fasten
5. Clothing Fasteners Red Flags
- Difficulty with maintaining grasp on button to pull it through a buttonhole
- Zippers coming disconnected mid-zip because the two sides aren’t being held together tightly to engage
- Inability to snap/unsnap pants, sometimes resulting in toileting accidents
- Inability to pull with enough force to fasten or loosen a belt buckle
6. Mealtime Red Flags
- Struggling to open lids of Tupperware containers
- Difficulty tearing open food packages and containers
- Difficulty opening screw-top containers (e.g. water bottles)
- Frequently dropping eating utensils or dropping finger food items