Quality of handwriting: Intervention based on the variation of finger force production

• Main Authors: Adriano Percival Calvo, Adriane Guzman Pasculli, Cynthia Yukiko Hiraga, Maria Candida Del Masso, Ana Maria Pellegrini
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade Federal de São Carlos 2014-09-01
• Series: Cadernos de Terapia Ocupacional
• Subjects: Motor Synergies; Difficulty in Writing; Developmental Coordination Disorder; Intervention.
• Online Access: http://www.cadernosdeterapiaocupacional.ufscar.br/index.php/cadernos/article/view/653

Difficulties in the production of proficient handwriting can be detected early in childhood. From the control point of view, non-proficient handwriting can be explained by the difficulty in adequately activating motor synergies that give support to this motor skill. Therefore, imposing different demand on the control to the motor synergies of the fingers can generate improvement in the quality of handwriting. The goal of the present study was to verify the effects of an intervention program for children with handwriting difficulties, composed of manipulative and pre-calligraphic activities that stimulate finger motor synergies through different force production demands. Thirty-four children between 7 and 12 years of age participated in the present study. Handwriting quality was evaluated through the Minnesota Handwriting Assessment. Only the experimental group (n=18) was submitted to the intervention program developed throughout 27 sessions of 30 minutes each. The results indicate that the intervention program based on the variability of force production had a positive effect on the quality of handwriting,mainly in terms of the size of letters.