Publications (9) View all
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Article: Children's handwriting evaluation tools and their psychometric properties.
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ABSTRACT: Handwriting is an important area of evaluation for pediatric therapists. In selecting a handwriting instrument, therapists must not only consider a child's area of handwriting difficulty, but also the psychometric properties of the instrument chosen. This paper reviews five commonly used children's handwriting evaluation tools: (a) Diagnosis and Remediation of Handwriting Problems; (b) Minnesota Handwriting Test; (c) Children's Handwriting Evaluation Scale-Manuscript; (d) Evaluation Tool of Children' s Handwriting-Manuscript; and (e) Test of Legible Handwriting. Each assessment is described including how it is administered, the scoring system, the reliability and validity of each instrument, and purchase information. The strengths and weaknesses of each tool are discussed along with factors affecting handwriting evaluation.Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics 02/2003; 23(3):65-84. · 1.21 Impact Factor -
Article: Handwriting development, competency, and intervention.
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ABSTRACT: Failure to attain handwriting competency during the school-age years often has far-reaching negative effects on both academic success and self-esteem. This complex occupational task has many underlying component skills that may interfere with handwriting performance. Fine motor control, bilateral and visual-motor integration, motor planning, in-hand manipulation, proprioception, visual perception, sustained attention, and sensory awareness of the fingers are some of the component skills identified. Poor handwriting may be related to intrinsic factors, which refer to the child's actual handwriting capabilities, or extrinsic factors which are related to environmental or biomechanical components, or both. It is important that handwriting performance be evaluated using a valid, reliable, standardized tool combined with informal classroom observation and teacher consultation. Studies of handwriting remediation suggest that intervention is effective. There is evidence to indicate that handwriting difficulties do not resolve without intervention and affect between 10 and 30% of school-aged children. Despite the widespread use of computers, legible handwriting remains an important life skill that deserves greater attention from educators and health practitioners.Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology 05/2007; 49(4):312-7. · 2.92 Impact Factor -
Article: Handwriting performance on the ETCH-M of students in a grade one regular education program.
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ABSTRACT: This nonexperimental correlational study describes handwriting performance in 69 typically developing first graders (mean age = 82.0 months +/-3.6) using the Evaluation Tool of Children's Handwriting- Manuscript. The relationship between handwriting and specific sensorimotor components was also examined and revealed modest associations (r = 0.32-0.40; p < 0.05). Mean legibility scores ranged from 68% to 87% with wide variability in speed. Boys demonstrated significantly lower mean legibility scores compared with girls. Teacher rating of handwriting and the ETCH-M scores were modestly correlated (r =-0.37 to -43; p < 0.01). Handwriting predictors included in-hand manipulation, visual motor control, upper limb speed, dexterity, and steadiness. The factors contributing to legible handwriting are multifactorial and complex. The results have implications for identification of students in first grade whose handwriting is below age expectations.Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics 02/2007; 27(2):43-62. · 1.21 Impact Factor -
Article: Handwriting performance in preterm children compared with term peers at age 6 to 7 years.
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ABSTRACT: Preterm infants are at high risk for developmental impairments at school age. However, the impact of these impairments on important life skills, such as handwriting, is unknown. Forty-eight first-grade children (27 males, 21 females; mean age 6y 7mo, SD 3.9mo; range 6y 1mo to 7y 3mo) born preterm (birthweight < 1250g; gestational age < 34wks), without major physical or cognitive disabilities, were matched to 69 healthy, term control children (32 males, 37 females; mean age 6y 10mo, SD 3.6mo; range 6y 3mo to 7y 4mo) by sex and school class. All children were assessed using the Evaluation Tool of Children's Handwriting-Manuscript and several sensorimotor measures. Preterm children demonstrated significantly lower legibility and slower speed scores (p < 0.01) compared with control children for most of the handwriting tasks. Factors associated with legibility were visual perception and eye-hand coordination (r < 0.50; p < 0.05) and sex (r < 0.12; p = 0.01). In-hand manipulation and finger identification (r < 0.43; p < 0.01) were significantly correlated with slow handwriting speeds. Behaviour difficulties associated with hyperactivity and poor attention (Connors Abbreviated Symptoms Questionnaire) had a confounding influence on both legibility and speed. These findings may help guide early identification efforts and medical/therapeutic interventions for preterm children.Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology 04/2005; 47(3):163-70. · 2.92 Impact Factor -
Article: Audiometric thresholds among a Canadian sample of 10 to 17 year old students.
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ABSTRACT: A total of 237 students, 10 to 17 years of age, from 14 schools underwent hearing evaluations. Otoscopic examination, tympanometry and air-conduction pure tone audiometry was conducted at low (0.5, 1, 2 kHz) and high (4 and 8 kHz) frequencies. In all schools, hearing thresholds were measured with headphones in a portable audiometric booth. Socio-demographic information from students and their parents were collected using questionnaires. Overall, the prevalence of any hearing loss greater than 15 dB was 22.3% for low or high frequency pure tone averages. Self-reported symptoms of hearing loss, such as tinnitus, difficulty following a conversation with background noise, and having to turn up the TV/radio more than in the past, were associated with audiometric thresholds, most notably at 4 kHz. These study findings are among the first to provide a detailed characterization of hearing status in a sample of youth in a Canadian demographic.The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 04/2012; 131(4):2787-98. · 1.55 Impact Factor
