Handwriting of children who have hemiplegia: A profile of abilities in children aged 8–13 years from a parent and teacher survey

Abstract

Handwriting is a major occupational task for children attending mainstream schools in Australia, including children who have hemiplegia and attend their local school. A preliminary exploratory study was undertaken at the Crippled Children's Association of South Australia to determine the prevalence of handwriting difficulties in this population, as there is little information published on their specific abilities. The handwriting abilities of 42 primary school children with hemiplegia were surveyed, with replies gained from 31 parents and 25 teachers. Results indicate that parents report 75% of children have handwriting problems while teachers report 69% of children have difficulty. Greatest difficulty was reported with the ability to write from dictation, or to maintain neatness over long periods of time or at speed. Children with right hemiplegia, boys, and those having coexisting conditions experienced more generalised problems. Also noted to impact on performance was variability in the children's abilities from one day to the next.