Biomaterial Database

Relationships between fine-motor, visual-motor, and visual perception scores and handwriting legibility and speed. 2011

Sheryl Klein, and Val Guiltner, and Patti Sollereder, and Ying Cui

Occupational Therapy Service, Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Sheryl.Klein@albertahealthservices.ca

Occupational therapists assess fine motor, visual motor, visual perception, and visual skill development, but knowledge of the relationships between scores on sensorimotor performance measures and handwriting legibility and speed is limited. Ninety-nine students in grades three to six with learning and/or behavior problems completed the Upper-Limb Speed and Dexterity Subtest of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, the Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration-5th Edition, the Test of Visual Perceptual Skills-Revised, the Visual Skills Appraisal, and a handwriting copying task. Correlations between sensorimotor performance scores and handwriting legibility varied from .07 to .38. Correlations between sensorimotor performance scores and handwriting speed varied from .04 to .42. Stepwise multiple regression analysis indicated that the variance in handwriting explained by these measures was ≤ 20% for legibility and ≤ 26% for speed. On the basis of multivariate analysis of variance only scores for the Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration differed between students classified as "skilled" and "unskilled" handwriters. The low magnitude of the correlations and variance explained by the sensorimotor performance measures supports the need for occupational therapists to consider additional factors that may impact handwriting of students with learning and/or behavior problems.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007859	Learning Disabilities	Conditions characterized by a significant discrepancy between an individual's perceived level of intellect and their ability to acquire new language and other cognitive skills. These may result from organic or psychological conditions. Relatively common subtypes include DYSLEXIA, DYSCALCULIA, and DYSGRAPHIA.	Adolescent Learning Disabilities,Adult Learning Disabilities,Child Learning Disabilities,Developmental Academic Disability,Developmental Academic Disorder,Developmental Disabilities of Scholastic Skills,Learning Disabilities, Adolescent,Learning Disabilities, Child,Learning Disorders,Academic Disorder, Developmental,Adult Learning Disorders,Developmental Disorders of Scholastic Skills,Learning Disorders, Adult,Learning Disturbance,Scholastic Skills Development Disorders,Academic Disabilities, Developmental,Academic Disability, Developmental,Academic Disorders, Developmental,Adolescent Learning Disability,Adult Learning Disability,Adult Learning Disorder,Child Learning Disability,Developmental Academic Disabilities,Developmental Academic Disorders,Disabilities, Adolescent Learning,Disabilities, Adult Learning,Disabilities, Child Learning,Disabilities, Developmental Academic,Disabilities, Learning,Disability, Adolescent Learning,Disability, Adult Learning,Disability, Child Learning,Disability, Developmental Academic,Disability, Learning,Disorder, Learning,Disorders, Adult Learning,Disorders, Learning,Disturbance, Learning,Disturbances, Learning,Learning Disabilities, Adult,Learning Disability,Learning Disability, Adolescent,Learning Disability, Adult,Learning Disability, Child,Learning Disorder,Learning Disorder, Adult,Learning Disturbances
D008297	Male		Males
D009048	Motor Skills	Performance of complex motor acts.	Motor Skill,Skill, Motor,Skills, Motor
D011594	Psychometrics	Assessment of psychological variables by the application of mathematical procedures.	Psychometric
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002653	Child Behavior Disorders	Disturbances considered to be pathological based on age and stage appropriateness, e.g., conduct disturbances and anaclitic depression. This concept does not include psychoneuroses, psychoses, or personality disorders with fixed patterns.	Childhood Behavior Disorders,Behavior Disorder, Child,Behavior Disorder, Childhood,Child Behavior Disorder,Childhood Behavior Disorder,Disorder, Childhood Behavior
D005260	Female		Females
D006236	Handwriting	Manual writing with a pen or pencil.
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013997	Time Factors	Elements of limited time intervals, contributing to particular results or situations.	Time Series,Factor, Time,Time Factor