title: Do Handwriting Difficulties Correlate with Core Symptomology, Motor Proficiency and Attentional Behaviours?
abstract: Handwriting is commonly identified as an area of weakness in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but precise deficits have not been fully characterised. Boys with ASD (n = 23) and matched controls (n = 20) aged 8-12 years completed a simple, digitised task to objectively assess handwriting performance using advanced descriptive measures. Moderate to large associations were identified between handwriting performance and attention, ASD symptoms and motor proficiency. The ASD group demonstrated significantly less smooth movements and significantly greater sizing variability and peak velocity relative to controls. These findings provide a clearer indication of the specific nature of handwriting impairments in children with ASD, and suggest a relationship with core clinical symptom severity, attention and motor behaviours.
authors.affiliation: Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, 18 Innovation Walk, Monash University, Clayton, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia. nicci.grace@monash.edu.
authors.forename: Nicci
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6819-3679
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Grace
authors.affiliation: Deakin Child Study Centre, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter Gregory
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Enticott
authors.affiliation: Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, 18 Innovation Walk, Monash University, Clayton, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia.
authors.forename: Beth Patricia
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Deakin Child Study Centre, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicole Joan
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Rinehart
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006236:Handwriting; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D009068:Movement
keywords: ADHD; ASD; Attention; Handwriting; Motor proficiency