Handwriting capacity in children newly diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

• Published in: Research in developmental disabilities 2011-11, Vol.32 (6), p.2927-2934
• Main Authors: Brossard-Racine, Marie, Majnemer, Annette, Shevell, Michael, Snider, Laurie, Bélanger, Stacey Ageranioti
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arm - physiology; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - diagnosis; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - physiopathology; Attention deficit disorders. Hyperactivity; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child clinical studies; Children; Elementary School Students; Evaluation Methods; Evidence; Female; Functional Laterality - physiology; Handwriting; Humans; Intervention; Legibility; Linear Models; Male; Manual dexterity; Medical sciences; Motor Development; Motor skills; Motor Skills - physiology; Multivariate Analysis; Newly diagnosed; Predictive Value of Tests; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychomotor Performance - physiology; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Stimulants; Visual motor integration
• ISSN: 0891-4222; 1873-3379
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2011.05.010

► We studied handwriting capacity in medication naïve children with ADHD. ► Visual motor coordination was consistently a good predictor of legibility. ► No significant difference was found in handwriting outcomes when children with ADHD and potential DCD were compared to children with ADHD only. Preliminary evidence suggests that children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may exhibit handwriting difficulties. However, the exact nature of these difficulties and the extent to which they may relate to motor or behavioural difficulties remains unclear. The aim of this study was to describe handwriting capacity in children newly diagnosed with ADHD and identify predictors of performance. Forty medication-naïve children with ADHD (mean age 8.1 years) were evaluated with the Evaluation Tool of Children's Handwriting-Manuscript, the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC), the Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration (VMI) and the Conner Global Index. An important subset (85.0%) exhibited manual dexterity difficulties. Handwriting performance was extremely variable in terms of speed and legibility. VMI was the most important predictor of legibility. Upper extremity coordination, as measured by the M-ABC ball skills subtest, was also a good predictor of word legibility. Poor handwriting legibility and slow writing speed were common in children newly diagnosed with ADHD and were associated with motor abilities. Future studies are needed to determine whether interventions, including stimulant medications, can improve handwriting performance and related motor functioning.