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Importance of developmental gesture of handwriting in children to better understand writing disabilities: Preliminary study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2020

C. Lopez*
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, University of Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité Paris, 75015, France Department of Child Psychiatry, INSERM Unit 1178 and CESP, Paris Descartes university and Paris Sud UVSQ, Paris-Saclay universities, Necker–Enfants-Malades University Hospital, Assistance publique–Hôpitaux de Paris Paris, 75015, France
L. Vaivre-douret
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, University of Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité Paris, 75015, France Department of Child Psychiatry, INSERM Unit 1178 and CESP, Paris Descartes university and Paris Sud UVSQ, Paris-Saclay universities, Necker–Enfants-Malades University Hospital, Assistance publique–Hôpitaux de Paris Paris, 75015, France University hospitalo-Institut Imagine Affiliation, Necker–Enfants-Malades hospital Paris, 75015, France Department of Pediatrics, Child development, Cochin-Port Royal University Hospitals of Paris Center, Assistance publique–Hôpitaux de Paris Paris, 75015, France
*
* Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

There is currently a resurgence of handwriting difficulties in school-age children. Researches in literature focus on kinematics temporal and spatial measures of letters in the writing process and on clinical performances such as the handwriting scale (BHK). This assessment doesn’t consider the organization and the maturation of the handwriting gesture.

Objectives

We aim to study the developmental organization of the handwriting gesture to provide developmental standards of reference in order to complete performances measures allowing a better understanding of handwriting disabilities.

Methods

Healthy children of elementary school aged between 6 and 11 years old are eligible for inclusion. All children are assessed with neuropsychological and neuropsychomotor evaluations and with handwriting assessment (BHK). Two groups are established, the one with handwriting difficulties and the other one (control group) without writing disorder or learning disabilities. The children were matched for age, gender and school level. All children are filmed with a camera suspended over to observe with specific handwriting tasks, the upper limb gesture about segmental organization of fingers, hand, forearm, arm, shoulder and postural organization.

Results

Preliminary findings show significant differences of the segmental organization of the writing gesture between the two groups. We will discuss the identified causes of the handwriting disorders with the analysis of neuropsychomotor and neurological assessments data in correlation with gesture segmental organization.

Conclusion

Developmental organization of the writing gesture is a possible underlying mechanism of handwriting disabilities. Practically, it appears important to improve news tools of evaluations with gestural writing consideration and to implement it in intervention process.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Type
EV248
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2016
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