Hello Pen Again. I am an occupational therapist at Lucile Packard Childrens Hospital and I work with outpatients at our therapy center at 2345 Yale Street in Palo Alto. I want to thank you for sharing the new Twist n Write pencils with our OT department, and to let you know that our supply of pencils has diminished to only 2 because we have found it to be so helpful for our patients. The pencil has been particularly helpful to children with Down Syndrome, hand or thumb weakness, and those with poor coordination who cringe at the sight of a pencil, but is intrigued by your pencil’s unusual shape. An 18 year old patient of mine who has had brain tumor surgery with residual weakness and hypertonia in his dominant right hand, is now able to write again with that hand because I started him using the Ergo Sof. Now, he is writing a journal entry every day, and drawing cartoons. I have not been able to find your products in the Office Depot stores in Mountain View or Cupertino. We would welcome more pencil or pen products to try with our patients if you can spare them. . Thanks.

J. Kitsuwa-Lowe, MA, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist

Dear Colin,
Thank you so very much for the new pencil. My son Ryan was diagnosed with ADHD in October of 2006 when he was 10.
Since Ryan was in kindergarten, teachers had constantly complained because he did not hold his pencil correctly and his handwriting was very messy. This has followed him all throughout his school career to date causing him increased self-consciousness because for him writing was very laborious. In my search for knowledge of ADHD I had learned that fine motor control is affected by ADHD. Once we began medication for his ADHD his schoolwork improved but his handwriting did not because so many years of holding his pencil wrong it was second nature for him. You see because the ADHD was affecting his fine motor skills involved with his fingers and holding the pencil he was trying to focus so much on holding the pencil and trying to control his writing that it was taking away from his actual time to write. This was causing him great frustration and anxiety so timed test that involved writing sentences and paragraphs we not being completed. Then one day I was at work and received an Office Depot catalog in the mail. As I was thumbing through it I found your pen advertised in their school supply section of the catalog.

The very day I received your pencil Ryan began using it for his summer journal and book report. He was very excited because it was very comfortable for him and as he said “I doesn’t make my hand hurt”. He loves his cool “rocket ship pen” and we do not have to really push him to do his writing because he is finding it less laborious to write. He is more relaxed when he writes now and because he does not have to focus on the position of the pencil in his hand, he is able to have the natural flow and control of the pencil.

Thank you so much for this product. I will be singing your praises to everyone I know.

T. Lacalamita
Salinas, California

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