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Do Handwriting Difficulties Correlate with Core Symptomology, Motor Proficiency and Attentional Behaviours?

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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.

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Acknowledgements

Peter G Enticott is supported by a Career Development Fellowship from the National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia). Beth P Johnson is supported by a Peter Doherty - Australian Biomedical Fellowship from National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia). Nicole J Rinehart is a recipient of project grants (#1004387 and #436609) from the National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia).

Authors’ Contributions

NG conceived of the study, participated in its design and coordination, performed the measurement, performed the statistical analysis and drafted the manuscript; BPJ participated in the design and interpretation of the data; PGE participated in the design and coordination of the study and helped with interpretation of the data; NJR participated in the design and coordination of the study and helped with interpretation of the data. All authors read, contributed to and approved the final manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, 18 Innovation Walk, Monash University, Clayton, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia

    Nicci Grace & Beth Patricia Johnson

  2. Deakin Child Study Centre, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia

    Peter Gregory Enticott & Nicole Joan Rinehart

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  1. Nicci Grace
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Correspondence to Nicci Grace.

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Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in this study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the Human Research Ethics Committee of Monash and Deakin Universities, Melbourne, Australia, and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors. Informed consent was obtained from all participants included in the study.

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Grace, N., Enticott, P.G., Johnson, B.P. et al. Do Handwriting Difficulties Correlate with Core Symptomology, Motor Proficiency and Attentional Behaviours?. J Autism Dev Disord 47, 1006–1017 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-3019-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-3019-7

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