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Handwriting disorders in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD): Exploratory study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2020

C. Lopez ,
C. Hemimou  and
L. Vaivre-Douret
C. Lopez
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, University of Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris City, Paris, France CESP, Paris Sud University, UVSQ, Inserm 1018, Paris-Saclay University, Villejuif, France Department of Child Psychiatry, Necker–Enfants-Malades University Hospital, AP–HP, Paris, France
C. Hemimou
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, University of Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris City, Paris, France CESP, Paris Sud University, UVSQ, Inserm 1018, Paris-Saclay University, Villejuif, France Department of Child Psychiatry, Necker–Enfants-Malades University Hospital, AP–HP, Paris, France
L. Vaivre-Douret*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, University of Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris City, Paris, France CESP, Paris Sud University, UVSQ, Inserm 1018, Paris-Saclay University, Villejuif, France Department of Child Psychiatry, Necker–Enfants-Malades University Hospital, AP–HP, Paris, France Department of Pediatrics, Cochin-Port Royal, Paris Center University Hospital, AP–HP, Paris, France Laboratory of Endocrinology, Imagine Institut, Necker–Enfants-Malades University Hospital, Paris, France
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Although more than 85% of children with DCD are affected by handwriting disorders, their characteristics and underlying mechanisms remain poorly known.

Objectives

We aim to better identify the nature of handwriting disorders in subtyping DCD children.

Methods

School children aged between 5 to 15 years and exhibited a DCD (according to DSM-5) are eligible for inclusion. They were classified in three subtypes of DCD: ideomotor (IM), visual-spatial and/or constructional (VSC), and mixed (MX). They were assessed with a standardized handwriting evaluation including quality and speed and a clinical observation of motor gestual developmental and temporal-spatial organization of handwriting highlighting six qualitative criteria: irregular handwriting (criterion 1), immaturity of handwriting gesture (criterion 2), excessive pressure of the pen on the paper (criterion 3), neuro-vegetative responses (criterion 4), trembling (criterion 5), slow handwriting velocity (criterion 6). Two groups are established: children with poor handwriting (PH) and children with dysgraphia (DysG).

Results

While 89% of children have handwriting disorders, only 20% exhibit dysgraphia. IM DCD is characterized by an immaturity of handwriting gesture and is associated with PH. Dysgraphia appears only in VSC and MX DCD which are characterized by the association of criteria 1, 2, 3, and 4. This association appears to more than 80% in DysG. Slow handwriting velocity is constant between PH and DysG.

Conclusion

Immaturity of handwriting gesture is a possible underlying mechanism of poor handwriting. Dysgraphia is associated with specific impairments in spatial organization of letters and in motor control of handwriting gesture.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Type
e-Poster viewing: child and adolescent psychiatry
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 41 , Issue S1: Abstract of the 25th European Congress of Psychiatry , April 2017 , pp. S456
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2017
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