Nurturing Hands, Inspiring Minds, Fostering Fun

Irene Hannam

 

Supporting Students with Autism

Supporting Students with Autism: When to Use Movement, Sensory, and Primitive Reflex Breaks (K–2 and 3–5) By Irene Hannam, MS OTR/L Students with autism benefit from purposeful movement throughout the school day. But not all movement is the same. Teachers often ask: When do I use a movement break? What about a sensory break? And […]
  • September 15, 2025
 

Beyond the Observation

Beyond the Observation: The Importance of a Comprehensive Initial OT Evaluation in Elementary School By Irene Hannam, MS OTR/L Occupational therapists (OTs) in school-based settings are vital members of the educational team who support students’ ability to participate and succeed in school routines. Among the most common concerns is difficulty with handwriting—issues such as poor […]
  • August 4, 2025
 

Handwriting Success

Handwriting Success Starts with the Eyes and Hands Working Together  By Irene Hannam, MS OTR/L  Introduction: Handwriting is more than just putting pencil to paper – it’s a complex skill that depends on our eyes and hands working together in harmony. In early elementary classrooms, students spend up to half of their classroom time on […]
  • July 20, 2025
 

Why Coloring, Tracing, Dot-to-Dot, and Mazes Are Secret Weapons

Why Coloring, Tracing, Dot-to-Dot, and Mazes Are Secret Weapons for Handwriting Success   By Irene Hannam, MS OTR/L  Introduction: Visual Motor Skills and the Path to Writing Handwriting is more than putting pencil to paper. It’s a complex integration of visual-motor coordination, fine motor control, attention, and spatial awareness. Before a child writes their first […]
  • June 21, 2025
 

From Scribbles to Sentences

From Scribbles to Sentences: How Visual Motor Skills Shape Early Handwriting By Irene Hannam, MS OTR/L Introduction – What Are Visual Motor Skills? Visual‑motor integration (VMI) is the brain’s ability to take in visual information, process it, and guide an appropriate motor response. For example, seeing a circle and drawing it with a crayon  (Carsone et al., 2021)  PMC. Well‑developed VMI […]
  • May 12, 2025
 

Primitive Reflex Integration

Primitive Reflex Integration: Bridging the Gap Between OT and Academic Achievement By Irene Hannam, MS OTR/L Why Primitive Reflexes Matter in School Participation: Despite rigorous handwriting drills and sensory diets, some students continue to struggle. Emerging literature pinpoints a hidden contributor: retained primitive reflexes that disrupt postural control, oculomotor stability, and executive functions essential for […]
  • May 5, 2025
 

Helping Kids Succeed

Helping Kids Succeed: How Integrating Primitive Reflexes Can Boost Academic Skills at School and Home By Irene Hannam, MS OTR/L Introduction — Why Primitive Reflexes Still Matter: Primitive reflexes are the automatic survival movements that help newborns breathe, feed, and interact with gravity. They should fade within the first 12–18 months as higher brain centers […]
  • April 30, 2025
 

Fostering Strong Foundations

Fostering Strong Foundations: A Developmental Approach to Learning Lowercase Letter Formations By Irene Hannam, MS OTR/L Early handwriting development lays the foundation for academic success and a child’s self-confidence and overall skill acquisition. From an Occupational Therapy (OT) perspective, teaching and supporting lowercase letter formation is a complex process that involves motor skills, cognitive skills, […]
  • March 17, 2025
A close-up of a hand holding a pencil
 

Reinstating Handwriting Instruction

The Write Way: Why Reinstating Handwriting Instruction in Elementary Schools Is Essential By Irene Hannam, MS OTR/L Handwriting may feel like an afterthought in a world saturated by digital devices and touchscreens. Alarmingly, many schools no longer include explicit handwriting instruction—particularly in letter formation—within their curricula. This shift raises critical concerns for parents, educators, and […]
  • March 13, 2025
 

The Importance of a Multisensory Learning Approach

The Importance of a Multisensory Learning Approach in Teaching Letter and Number Formations By Irene Hannam, MS OTR/L Learning to form letters and numbers is a fundamental milestone in a child’s educational journey. Traditional instruction often relies on visual and auditory cues alone, but a wealth of research suggests that a multisensory approach can significantly enhance a […]
  • March 12, 2025
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