title: Handwriting difficulties in children with autism spectrum disorders: a scoping review.
abstract: Functional handwriting involves complex interactions among physical, cognitive and sensory systems. Impairments in many aspects of these systems are associated with Autism spectrum disorders (ASD), suggesting a heightened risk of handwriting difficulties in children with ASD. This scoping review aimed to: (1) survey the existing evidence about potential contributions to compromised handwriting function in children with ASD, and (2) map out the existing studies documenting handwriting difficulties in children with ASD. The current evidence implicates impairments in fine motor control and visual-motor integration as likely contributors to handwriting difficulties in children with ASD, though the role of the latter is not well-understood. Moreover, diminished overall legibility and compromised letter formation are emerging points of convergence among existing studies of handwriting quality in children with ASD.
authors.affiliation: Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, 150 Kilgour Road, Toronto, ON, M4G 1R8, Canada. azadeh.kushki@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: Azadeh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kushki
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chau
authors.forename: Evdokia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Anagnostou
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive; D006236:Handwriting; D006801:Humans; D011597:Psychomotor Performance