Faculty Advisor(s)
Lori Charney
Files
Abstract
“Meaning Within the Lines” was a doctoral capstone project developed to improve children’s handwriting through program development, education, and advocacy. Through an occupational therapy handwriting program at Misericordia University, local children struggling with handwriting received pro-bono occupational therapy services that improved their overall handwriting skills, using the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum and manipulatives. This project also advanced the knowledge of undergraduate occupational therapy students' through observation of OT sessions. Education workshop opportunities increased underclassman knowledge in handwriting development and provided resources that they can use for their future practice. Advocacy efforts to educate area school district personnel was completed to empower OT practitioners' role in the best practices of handwriting remediation in the 21st century. Implementation and planning of an OT clinical outpatient services was experiential and enhanced the project developer’s knowledge of the business aspect of clinical services. “Meaning Within the Lines” made an impact on the community by providing free occupational therapy services in an area with limited opportunities for OT services outside of the public school environment. This doctoral capstone project impacted the occupational therapy profession by increasing the community’s awareness of the occupational therapy profession’s role in handwriting remediation and enhancing the knowledge of effective handwriting strategies that can be used in various contexts.
Publication Date
2025
Document Type
Poster
Department
Occupational Therapy
Keywords
handwriting, occupational therapy, handwriting without tears, capstone project
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences | Occupational Therapy | Rehabilitation and Therapy
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Kneller, Melody, "Meaning Within the Lines" (2025). Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects Class of 2025. 8.
https://digitalcommons.misericordia.edu/otd_capstone2025/8