Graphomotor Intervention Program for Handwriting Difficulties Prevention in School-Age

NCT03699800 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 06102018
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 47
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

12-30% of children present handwriting difficulties, which has negative repercussions on their school career. For this reason, it is fundamental to bet on their prevention. The aim of present study is to examine the effects of a graphomotor intervention program on quality and speed of handwriting in second-grade children. This experimental study is a randomized controlled trial. The program will run for 8 weeks (2 sessions/week of 30 minutes), followed by 6 months of follow-up without intervention. Participants will be assessed 1) at baseline, 2) at the end of the program, and 3) after the follow-up. Participants will be randomly allocated to two groups: experimental group (graphomotor intervention program) and control group.

Conditions

Typical Development; Risk of Dysgraphia; Dysgraphia

Keywords

Graphomotor intervention program; Second grade children; Prevention and early identification; Process and product of handwriting; Quality and speed of handwriting

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Change from Baseline, between and within groups comparison, in Motor Performance

  Outcome Measure - Movement Assessment Battery for Children - Second Edition to assess manual dexterity, aiming and catching and balance

  0, 4, 10 months

• Change from Baseline, between and within groups comparison, in handwriting performance

  Outcome Measure - The Concise Assessment Scale for Children's Handwriting (BHK) to assess quality and speed of handwriting

  0, 4, 10 months

• Change from Baseline, between and within groups comparison, in Computerized Handwriting Process Measures

  Outcome Measure - The MovAlyzeR to assess spatial, temporal and kinematic variables of handwriting

  0, 4, 10 months

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Sociodemographic characteristics

  0 months

• Change from Baseline, between and within groups comparison, in Manual Preference

  0, 4, 10 months

Study Arms (2)

Graphomotor intervention program

EXPERIMENTAL

The experimental group (EG) intervention comprises a graphomotor intervention program according to a psychomotor approach. The program integrates two group sessions (6-8 children)/week of 30 minutes for 8 weeks (16 sessions).

Other: Graphomotor intervention program

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

The control group (CG) participants will maintain their normal classroom activities. After the study, control group participants will be offered the opportunity to integrate a similar graphomotor intervention program.

Interventions

Graphomotor intervention program OTHER

The graphomotor intervention program aims to promote the development and reinforcement, different skills involved in the learning process of handwriting and has a preventive character. It follows a bodily, playful, multisensory, exploratory (sensory integration) and neuromotor task training approach and focuses on the following intervention domains: segmental awareness, passive relaxation, trunk-limb dissociation, interdigital coordination, attention, planning, spatial organization/orientation and perception.

Graphomotor intervention program

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 7 Years - 7 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Children in the second grade (aged 7 years old);
• Participation agreement;

You may not qualify if:

• Diagnosed or suspected of neurological disabilities (e.g., cerebral palsy, epilepsy), psychiatric and/or behavioural disorders;
• Presence of uncorrected vision and hearing problems;
• Referenced by Special Education/National Service of Early Intervention in Childhood;
• Presence of one or more school retentions;
• Native language is not Portuguese;
• Children with direct intervention in graphomotor skills or who had a similar intervention to that proposed less than 1 year ago;
• Participation in the intervention program of less than 80%;
• Children undergoing drug therapy (e.g., antihistamines) that interfere with the study variables;
• Do not wish to participate in the study.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Évora: lead

Study Sites (1)

Helena Isabel Falcão Coradinho

Evora, 7040, Portugal

Location

Related Publications (16)

• Engel-Yeger B, Rosenblum S. The effects of protracted graphomotor tasks on tripod pinch strength and handwriting performance in children with dysgraphia. Disabil Rehabil. 2010;32(21):1749-57. doi: 10.3109/09638281003734375.

  PMID: 20373859 BACKGROUND

• Zeziger P, Deonna T, Mayor C. L'acquisition de l'écriture. Enfance. 2000; 3:295-304. Available at: http://www.persee.fr/doc/enfan_0013-7545_2000_num_53_3_3186

  BACKGROUND

• Denton PL, Cope S, Moser C. The effects of sensorimotor-based intervention versus therapeutic practice on improving handwriting performance in 6- to 11-year-old children. Am J Occup Ther. 2006 Jan-Feb;60(1):16-27. doi: 10.5014/ajot.60.1.16.

  PMID: 16541981 BACKGROUND

• Schneck C, Amundson S. Prewriting and Handwriting Skills. In Case-Smith J., O'Brien J, cords. Occupational Therapy for Children. Missouri: Elsevier; 2010. p. 555-82.

  BACKGROUND

• Alhusaini AA, Melam GR, Buragadda S. Short-term sensorimotor-based intervention for handwriting performance in elementary school children. Pediatr Int. 2016 Nov;58(11):1118-1123. doi: 10.1111/ped.13004. Epub 2016 Jul 7.

  PMID: 27085075 BACKGROUND

• Soppelsa R, Albaret JM. Caractéristiques de la dysgraphie ou du trouble de l'apprentissage de la graphomotricité (TAG) au collège. A.N.A.E. 2014 Fev; 128:1-6. Available at: http://www.psychomot.ups-tlse.fr/Soppelsa-Albaret2014.pdf

  BACKGROUND

• Rosenblum S, Aloni T, Josman N. Relationships between handwriting performance and organizational abilities among children with and without dysgraphia: a preliminary study. Res Dev Disabil. 2010 Mar-Apr;31(2):502-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2009.10.016. Epub 2009 Nov 27.

  PMID: 19945252 BACKGROUND

• Soppelsa R, Abizeid C, Chéron A, Laurent A, Danna J, Albaret, JM. Dysgraphies et rééducation psychomotrice: Données actuelles. In: Albaret JM, Matta Abizeid C, Soppelsa R. Les Entretiens de Bichat. Publisher: Toulouse - Europa Digital & Publishing, Editors; 2016. p 5-11.

  BACKGROUND

• Rosenblum S, Dror G. Identifying Developmental Dysgraphia Characteristics Utilizing Handwriting Classification Methods. IEEE Transactions on Human-Machine Systems. 2016 Oct; 47(2): 293-8. doi: 10.1109/THMS.2016.2628799

  BACKGROUND

• Lachaux-Parker C. Troubles de l'écriture et psychomotricité. Revue francophone d'orthoptie. 2012; 5:143-7. doi: 10.1016/j.rfo.2013.02.002

  BACKGROUND

• Borghese NA, Palmiotto C, Essenziale J, Mainetti R, Granocchio E, Molteni B et al. Assessment of Exergames as Treatment and Prevention of Dysgraphia. In: Ibáñez J, González-Vargas J, Azorín J, Akay M, Pons J. Converging Clinical and Engineering Research on Neurorehabilitation II. Cham: Springer; 2017. p. 431-6.

  BACKGROUND

• Graham S, Harris KR. Preventing Writing Difficulties: Providing Additional Handwriting and Spelling Instruction to At-Risk Children in First Grade. Teaching Exceptional Children. 2006 May/Jun; 38(5):64-66. doi: 10.1177/004005990603800509

  BACKGROUND

• Graham S, Harris KR, & Fink B. Is handwriting causally related to learning to write? Treatment of handwriting problems in beginning writers. Journal of Educational Psychology. 2000; 92(4):620-33. doi: 10.1037/0022-0663.92.4.620

  BACKGROUND

• Howe TH, Roston KL, Sheu CF, Hinojosa J. Assessing handwriting intervention effectiveness in elementary school students: a two-group controlled study. Am J Occup Ther. 2013 Jan-Feb;67(1):19-26. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2013.005470.

  PMID: 23245779 BACKGROUND

• Hoy MM, Egan MY, Feder KP. A systematic review of interventions to improve handwriting. Can J Occup Ther. 2011 Feb;78(1):13-25. doi: 10.2182/cjot.2011.78.1.3.

  PMID: 21395194 BACKGROUND

• Matias A, Vieira C. Programa de intervenção grafomotora. [In press].

  BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Agraphia

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Language Disorders; Communication Disorders; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Specific Learning Disorder; Learning Disabilities; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Helena IF Coradinho, MSc

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 5, 2018
• First Posted: October 9, 2018
• Study Start: October 15, 2018
• Primary Completion: December 31, 2019
• Study Completion: December 31, 2019
• Last Updated: March 27, 2020

Record last verified: 2020-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PT (1)