Abstract

COPPEDE, Aline Cirelli; OKUDA, Paola Matiko Martins  and  CAPELLINI, Simone Aparecida. Performance of children with learning difficulties in fine motor function and handwriting. Rev. bras. crescimento desenvolv. hum. [online]. 2012, vol.22, n.3, pp. 297-306. ISSN 0104-1282.

AIMS: This study aimed to compare and characterize the fine, sensory and perceptive function performance and handwriting quality between students with learning difficulties and students with good academic performance. METHODS: This study comprised 192 students from 2^nd to 4^th grades, both genders, whose ages ranged from 7 to 11 years old. The students were distributed into: GI, GII, GIII and GIV, comprising 96 students with learning difficulties, and groups GV, GVI, GVII, GVIII comprising 96 students with good academic performance. The students were submitted to evaluation of fine motor, sensorial and perception functions and handwriting evaluation under dictation. RESULTS: The results showed that the students with learning difficulties, from 1^st to 3^rd grade, had lower performance on tests of fine motor, sensory and perceptive function, when compared to the students with good academic performance in the same grade; the students from 4^th grade, both groups, did not show changes on fine motor, sensory and perceptive function; and only the students of GII showed dysgraphia. CONCLUSIONS: the results presented in this study suggest that the qualitative aspects of fine motor, sensory and perceptive skills reflect the integrity and maturity of central nervous system and can probably play an important role in early diagnosis of development disorders and consequently prevent academic disorders such as handwriting performance.

Keywords : learning; motor skill; handwriting.

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