DIY : How To Make A Slant Board

 

Our little Squeak is not a fan of writing. Or drawing. Or doing anything with a pen on paper for longer than a minute, maybe two.
She has low muscle tone and painful joints, but there can be many reasons why children shy away from pen work.
Her wonderful OT recently suggested we try a slant board to take some pressure off her joints and create a more ergonomic position for writing. 

We gave the therapist's board a try and Squeak's concentration and perseverance skyrocketed, so I thought I'd have a go at making her one to use at home and also for the classroom next year.

What is a slant board?

A slant board is quite simply a board that has been set at an angle, usually with clips attached at the top to hold paper and exercise books.
There are plenty of benefits to using a slant board, some of which  include:
* improved wrist flexion/hand positioning and support which usually leads to better pen grip.
* the slant of the board brings the paper closer to the child and makes it easier to see. This is especially beneficial for children with visual problems.
* assists in the action of applying correct force when writing and drawing. Children with low tone like Squeak find applying downward pressure especially difficult and tiring.
* improved eye tracking, especially when reading. The board puts the work surface at a better level for tracking which reduces strain.
* enables better posture while the child works. This can have all sorts of benefits such as better concentration and in Squeak's case, less strain on her muscles and joints.

 
To make our slant board 

WE USED:

* a sheet of thick corflute board

(ours was 5mm thick and 1200mmx900mm in dimension, which was enough to make two slant boards).

* cutting/utility knife

* adhesive velcro

* ruler

* whiteboard marker

* hot glue/strong glue

* large clip

I started out with one large sheet of corflute board. It was 5mm thick and 1200/900mm in dimension, which ended up being enough for me to make two slant boards.

First I cut the board straight down the middle.

To do this I first measured the mid point then used a ruler and whiteboard marker to draw a line. Then using a sharp craft knife I carefully cut through one side, then bent the board in half and sliced the knife through the other side so the two halves were separated.

I then stuck a strip of velcro on the bottom of the board (on what would be the 'front' side).

I then measured and drew lines across the board as above. You can make your slant board what ever dimensions you prefer, I wanted Squeak's work surface to be slighter larger than a sheet of paper so from left to right my sections measured: 35cm, 35cm, 8cm and 5cm. 

The third section is the 'rise' part of the slant board so make it as high as you want the board to sit.
As you can see on the far left of the photo there was excess board which I removed and kept for future projects.

Using the craft knife again I carefully scored through the top layer of the board along all three lines. Use the ruler for stability if free hand cutting is proving tricky.

Once the lines are scored the board can be bent in those places but still holds together securely.

Your board should now look like this once all of the sections are cut and folded.

On the underside of the smallest section attach the other side of your velcro.

Now your board can hold together using the two strips of velcro.

The girls love using the slant boards and the thick corflute is perfect - easy to cut but rigid and strong to support weight.

If your table surface is slippery you can add anti slip sheets to the back (the rubbery anti slip mats you can buy to go inside cupboards and shelves at the dollar shop would be perfect) or rubber stoppers which you can buy in packs at hardware shops. 

Ours sat on the table without slipping just fine though.

To help Squeak hold her paper steady while she works I attached a large clip at the top of the board using hot glue. It is large enough for her to open and close easily with her little fingers but small enough not to get in the way of her work.

These slant boards were so easy to make and for $7.50 each very cost effective!

Please note, I am not a specialist or therapist and my posts should not be taken as professional opinion. I am just a parent sharing what helps our child.