Bright child. Messy handwriting. Falling behind in written work?
Welcome — I’m Sheilagh, and I help children rediscover confidence and pride in their handwriting.
My Story
I’ve been an Occupational Therapist for over 27 years, helping children develop the skills they need to thrive at school and in life. I’m one of only a handful of OT’s in the UK who specialise in handwriting.
In 2016, I founded Help with Handwriting because I was frustrated that children weren’t getting the support they truly needed.
Since then, I’ve worked with hundreds of children around the world. Most them are aged 11–14 and have reached the point where handwriting is affecting confidence, schoolwork and independence.
Helping students improve is always fun and rewarding because you’ll never know what they’ll say next.
Me holding the first-ever Get Set write club box.
Why children struggle with handwriting even when they try hard.
“Many parents come to me after trying lots of things: extra handwriting sheets, reminders to slow down, neater presentation targets even tutoring.
Yet nothing seems to stick. Why?
Because messy handwriting is rarely the real problem. Sometimes the issue is speed. Sometimes it’s fatigue. Sometimes confidence. Sometimes your child has never been shown a way of writing that actually works for them.
Until you understand what’s causing the struggle, every solution feels temporary. That’s why I look beyond the handwriting itself.”
Sheilagh, founder of Help with Handwriting
The 6 Types of Writers (and who I can help)
Which of these sounds most like your child?
- Speedy Writer - Rushes to get everything done in a super quick time.
- Fatigued Writer - Gets tired quickly and handwriting deteriorates after a few lines.
- Inconsistent Writer - Some days it is easy to read and other days it is a struggle.
- Avoidant Writer - Avoids homework, writing tasks and anything involving lots of handwriting.
- Uncertain Writer - They are not sure where to start to improve it.
- Not-bothered Writer - Writing is not of interest because they wish to type their school work.
I can help the first five. The ‘not-bothered’ writer will prefer to type, seeing no reason to improve their writing.
"Firstly thank you for all your help and support with Leyton. I can honestly say there has been some real improvement in his handwriting and even his English teacher at school has commented on the changes."
Kerri, Mum of Leyton, age 14.
Meet the team
A little about me
I’m an OT, an author of several books on handwriting and child development, and a lifelong believer that small changes can create big breakthroughs.
When I’m not helping children find their inner confidence to write, you’ll usually find me with my head inside an interior design magazine, doing something crafty or trying new food recipes.
Sheilagh
Laura
I don't do this alone...meet Laura
Behind the scenes, I’m supported by Laura, who helps me keep everything running smoothly — from booking sessions to making sure parents get the right info when they need it. When you get in touch, there’s a good chance it’ll be her who will reply first.
Since launching Help with Handwriting, the impact so far is…
Every time a child joins us, we plant a tree in their honour. This offsets any extra paper they use when working on their handwriting.
At Help with Handwriting, we offer more than just handwriting
Ready to take the next step?
If your child is ready to make changes to their handwriting — I’d love to help.