title: Handwriting performance of children with attention deficit hyperactive disorders: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to compare the handwriting characteristics of children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), while on and off medication, as well as with a control group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve children with ADHD and 12 control children, aged 8-10, performed a paragraph-copying task using a computerized system. The children with ADHD performed the task both while on and off medication. The handwriting product of both groups was then evaluated with the Hebrew Handwriting Evaluation tool.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results provide evidence for poorer performance of children with ADHD in comparison to children without ADHD on most handwriting process and product measures. Children with ADHD demonstrated significantly more total time including in-air time spent in handwriting performance when off medication. The possible implications of these results regarding the future use of handwriting process and product evaluations for children with ADHD in school settings are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy, a joint program of the Faculty of Social Welfare & Health Sciences, University of Haifa, and the Technion, Haifa, Israel. rosens@research.haifa.ac.il
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rosenblum
authors.forename: Liora
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Epsztein
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Josman
mesh_terms: D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006236:Handwriting; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D010865:Pilot Projects; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis