Root + Rise Vermont

Individualized Handwriting Evaluations & Intervention · Vermont

Little hands. Big ideas. Room to grow

Where handwriting skills take root and confidence grows.

Root + Rise Vermont specializes in occupational therapy-based handwriting evaluations and individualized intervention for children who need extra support developing the skills necessary for successful writing.

Through comprehensive assessment, evidence-informed instruction, and hands-on activities, we help children build the fine motor skills, pencil control, and handwriting fluency they need to write with greater ease and confidence.

Book a free discovery callSee what working together looks like

Our approach

The ROOTS to RISE Approach

Strong writers start with strong roots.

At Root + Rise, we believe that understanding why handwriting is difficult is just as important as teaching children how to write.

Our occupational therapy approach combines comprehensive evaluation with individualized, evidence-informed handwriting instruction.

ROOTS

Understanding the Foundations

We look beyond the pencil and paper to understand the skills and environmental factors influencing each child's writing experience.

  • RRegulation & Readiness
  • OOrganization & Posture
  • OOcular & Visual Access
  • TTool Use & Hand Skills
  • SSkill Foundations

RISE

Building Skills & Confidence

Once we understand a child's unique strengths and challenges, we develop a targeted intervention plan that supports meaningful progress.

  • RReveal the Goal
  • IInstruct Explicitly
  • SScaffold Practice
  • EEvaluate Transfer

From understanding to independence.

Our goal isn't simply better-looking handwriting. It's helping children develop the skills, confidence, and independence to participate successfully in writing activities at school and beyond.

How it works

What working together looks like.

One comprehensive evaluation. A clear path forward.

See the full path
01

Free discovery call

Let's start with a conversation.

02

Comprehensive handwriting evaluation

Looking beyond pencil and paper.

03

Results & collaborative planning

Getting everyone on the same page.

04

Individualized handwriting intervention

Building skills. Growing confidence.

Shannon Cavoneil, OTD, OTR/L — founder of Root + Rise Vermont

Shannon Cavoneil

OTD, OTR/L · Founder

Meet your therapist

Hi, I'm Shannon.

I'm a school-based occupational therapist and a Certified Learning Without Tears® Handwriting Specialist. It was through my work in the schools that I developed a particular passion for handwriting — noticing how many children were struggling with the foundational skills needed to put pencil to paper, and how often that affected their confidence in the classroom. Root + Rise was created to bring that perspective directly to children and their support teams.

  • Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)
  • Licensed Occupational Therapist — Vermont
  • NBCOT Certified
  • Certified Learning Without Tears® Handwriting Specialist
More about Shannon

Good to know

Questions, answered.

A few of the things families ask most. Have another? I'd love to hear from you.

Read the full FAQ

Strong writers start with strong roots. The name reflects how occupational therapy works: we strengthen the foundational skills (the roots) so a child can rise into confident, independent writing at school and beyond.

Children who need extra support developing the skills necessary for successful writing, and the families and educators around them. Root + Rise provides occupational therapy-based handwriting evaluations and individualized intervention for children.

A free 15-minute discovery call, a comprehensive handwriting evaluation package, and individualized handwriting intervention sessions that follow the evaluation. There's no required package or predetermined number of sessions — following the evaluation, we'll discuss a recommended starting plan and check progress along the way. Families who'd like regular weekly sessions can pay for a block of sessions up front as a session pack; just ask.

During an in-person evaluation at your home, we use a variety of handwriting and functional writing assessments selected based on your child's age, individual needs, and classroom expectations.

For younger writers, assessments such as the Learning Without Tears® Print Tool help us examine the physical production of handwriting, including letter formation, sizing, spacing, and placement. As students get older, we take a broader look at the demands of classroom writing. Assessments such as the DeCoste Writing Protocol help us explore writing fluency, written productivity, and how handwriting compares with other methods of written expression, such as keyboarding, while additional functional assessments may examine copying from near and far points.

Guided by our ROOTS framework, we also explore foundational skills that may be influencing writing, including fine motor coordination, pencil grasp, visual-motor integration, postural stability, and sensory processing.

Following the evaluation, we meet virtually for a 30-minute consultation to review the results. You'll also receive a comprehensive written report with individualized goals and practical recommendations for home and school.

In your family home, after school, rather than in a clinic. Root + Rise provides in-home handwriting services throughout Chittenden County, Vermont, and surrounding areas; travel outside Chittenden County may be accommodated on a case-by-case basis. Discovery calls and parent consultations happen by phone or video.