Fine Motor Function in Children With Specific Learning Disorders

Overview

Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder in which a person shows difficulties in reading, written narration, and/or mathematics. 30 to 50 percent of children with SLD experience difficulties in fine motor skills, such as handwriting skills, and also during self-care activities and activities that require sorting. This study will evaluate children with SLD and healthy ages within fine motor skills, handgrip strength, and hand-forearm anthropometric measurements. Our study will show the impact of the fine motor skills of children with SLD on their quality of life and participation in daily life activities. In light of our current knowledge, no study has been found that comprehensively examines the fine motor functions of children with SLD. Therefore, normative data on the upper extremity functions of children with SLD will be presented to the literature. In this context, our work will shed light on the development of new treatments and assessment methods for clinicians and researchers working with children with SLD.

Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder in which the individual has difficulties in reading, written expression, and/or mathematics, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - 5 (DSM-V). SLD; According to DSM-5, the academic difficulties experienced are explained in detail by dividing them into three subgroups. These are dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia. The incidence of SLD is approximately 33% in girls and 67% in boys between the ages of 6-12. The ethology of SLD is multifactorial. It is associated with multiple genes and environmental risk factors. Structural imaging studies in children with SLD have revealed that grey matter is reduced. As a result of low grey matter, early literacy education seems to be negatively affected, and fine motor skills such as writing play an important role in this influence. Writing is a complex activity that includes perceptual, motor, and cognitive processes. Writing activities require a high level of fine motor coordination, postural control, adjustable grip strength, visual perception, and language skills. Considering the studies, it is stated that children who go to primary school spend 31%-60% of their academic days with tasks involving fine motor skills, and most of them do activities such as writing and painting. In addition to their academic and writing performances, children with SLD perform differently in daily life compared to their healthy peers. In general, they have difficulties during self-care activities such as tying shoes, clipping their nails, buttoning/zipping, shaving, and performing activities that require sequencing. At the same time, children with SLD have difficulties in sensory processing, balance, and postural control. Difficulties in sensory processing, balance, and postural control seen in children with SLD affect proximal stability. When proximal stability is poor, distal movements cannot be performed in good quality. Therefore, adequate postural control and proximal stability are essential prerequisites for many activities of daily living. In the literature, it has been shown that grip strength and anthropometric characteristics of the upper extremity affect distal fine motor skills. In a study by Anakwe et al., it was shown that grip strength increased as the forearm circumference measurement value increased. In a study examining the relationship between hand grip and finger strength and anthropometric measurements, it was concluded that grip strength increased as arm and forearm measurements increased. It has been proven that grip strength increases as arm and forearm measurements increase. In the light of our current knowledge, no study has been found that comprehensively examines the fine motor functions, hand and finger strengths, and anthropometric measurements of children with SLD. The primary aim of this study is to examine the fine motor skills, hand grip strength, and hand and forearm anthropometric characteristics of children with SLD compared to those of healthy children and to investigate their relationships with each other. The second aim of our study is to examine the effect of fine motor skills on quality of life and participation in activities at home, school, and community environment of children with SLD compared to their healthy peers.