HAND FUNCTIONS OF CHILDREN WITH A SPECIFIC LEARNING DISORDER

Overview

Children with Specific Learning Difficulties (SLD) may have problems with fine and gross motor skills compared to their healthy peers. These children may have poor manual dexterity. Taken together, it is not clear how motor and sensory competence of the hand are affected together. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the sensory and motor ability of the hand and to compare the examined parameters between the SLD group and the healthy control group.

Specific learning disability (SLD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that begins at school age and sometimes goes undetected until adulthood. Its incidence in school-aged children is about 5-15%. Children with SLD have difficulty in fulfilling academic qualifications. In addition, there are various problems with fine motor skills, motor-coordination, balance and gross motor skills. Upper extremity speed and dexterity affect fine motor performance (as they involve manipulative tasks that require a certain amount of time and higher motor skills). In the literature, it is reported that manual dexterity is a stronger predictor than balance on the functional mobility of children with SLD, and it is emphasized that strategies to improve dexterity performance should be focused in interventions for fine motor skills for these children. In addition, it is demonstrated that taking the necessary precautions and planning by evaluating the gross and fine motor skills in detail in SLD is important for the independence and achievements of children in their daily living activities. Weak hand skills are expected in children with SLD. Problems based on hand performance can be addressed in a more comprehensive way by comparing these children with children with typical development in terms of motor performance and functional mobility. Similarly, although it is recommended to evaluate senses such as touch and stereognosia when evaluating fine motor performance in these children, no comprehensive study including sensory and motor evaluations has been found in the literature. In this study, in children with SLD; It is aimed to examine the limitations of hand motor and sensory functions in daily activities in terms of general motor competencies and hand skills of the child and to compare them with the healthy control group.