HSC students are doing a different type of cramming, with many enrolling in classes to improve their pen grip ahead of the gruelling final exams.
Early Links at Caringbah is among the places offering help to students with poor pen grip before they embark on HSC exams.
Occupational therapist Jacky Peile said Early Links offered a handwriting program that has helped more than 100 students in the past three years.
She said students who completed the course had seen notable improvements in legibility, speed, readability and endurance.
But she said the biggest improvement was a 40 per cent decrease in pain associated with writing when holding a pen the wrong way.
Ms Peile recently told the Leader she had seen a big increase in the number of school-age children being treated for poor pencil grip, something she blamed on the overuse and misuse of iPads among youngsters.
Ms Peile's comments came after it was reported that handwritten HSC exams might soon become a thing of the past. Education officials are considering introducing online HSC exams as students can no longer tolerate long writing sessions after years of using a computer for school work.
Ms Peile said Early Links offered an eight-week program of one-hourly sessions focusing on core strength, shoulder stability and small hand movements. It also recently launched a one-month online handwriting program aimed at HSC students.
Details: Early Links, info@earlylinks.com.au or Jacky Peile, 0430 935 016.
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