Naomi Weintraub

The contribution of gender, orthographic, finger function, and visual- motor processes to the prediction of handwriting status

The present study examined if orthographic, finger function, and visual-motor processes as well as gender made a unique and significant contribution to the prediction of the handwriting status of fifth grade students classified as good or poor handwriters. Visual-motor integration and finger functioning made a unique and significant contribution to the prediction of handwriting status, whereas gender and orthographic processes did not. Furthermore, knowledge of childrens gender, finger functioning, and visual-motor status resulted in the correct classification of 77% of the participating students as good or poor handwriters.

Which manuscript letters do primary grade children write legibly

The authors examined the manuscript letter writing skills of 300 students in Grades 1-3. The participating children were asked to write the lowercase manuscript alphabet from memory. A relatively small number of letters (4-8) accounted for slightly more than half of all illegibilities at each grade level. Three letter characteristics (i.e., all parts, correction formation, and no rotations or reversals), grade, and alphabet fluency each made a significant contribution to the prediction of letter legibility after the effects of the other predictors were controlled. Letter legibility in turn made a significant contribution to the prediction of text legibility after all other predictors were controlled. Implications for instruction and evaluation are discussed.

Ergonomic factors influencing handwriting performance

OBJECTIVES Handwriting is one of the first things children are taught at school and need to perform in an efficient manner throughout life. Various studies have indicated that handwriting skills are related to many different variables including ergonomic factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences between children with good and poor handwriting on ergonomic factors that underlie handwriting (e.g. body and paper positioning, pencil-grip and pressure) and to examine the relationship between the handwriting legibility and speed and these ergonomic factors. STUDY DESIGN The study included 209 students in Grades 2 and 3 in Israel. The students were identified as good (N=116) and as poor handwriters (N=103) by their teachers. The Hebrew Handwriting Evaluation (HHE) was used to collect data on handwriting quality and speed as well as on ergonomic factors. A Chi square procedure was used to compare the differences between the handwriting groups. Discriminant analysis determined the percent of correct discrimination of subjects with poor or good handwriting based on the ergonomic factors. Finally, Spearman correlation coefficients were employed between the ergonomic variables and speed and quality of handwriting. RESULTS The results indicated that children with poor handwriting had inferior pencil, paper and body positioning, stabilization of paper and consistency of pressure, compared to children with good handwriting. CONCLUSIONS The implications of the results in general, and specifically for clinical practice are discussed. Finally, further research related to this topic is suggested.

Effectiveness of Sensorimotor and Task-Oriented Handwriting Intervention in Elementary School-Aged Students with Handwriting Difficulties

The effects of two handwriting intervention programs for students with handwriting difficulties were compared. Students in grades 2 to 4 were randomly assigned to a sensorimotor intervention (n = 19), a task-oriented intervention (n = 19), or a nontreatment control group (n = 17). Both intervention programs also included “higher-level” functions (e.g., cognitive or executive functions). Handwriting speed and legibility were measured before, immediately after (Stage 1), and 4 months after (Stage 2) intervention. At Stage 1, statistically significant gains in handwriting performance were noted in both intervention groups, but not in the control group. Additionally, the task-oriented group scored significantly higher than the control group in overall legibility. At Stage 2, statistically significant gains were noted in both intervention groups. Thus, although neither program was found to have an advantage in terms of its unique components, it appears that students with handwriting difficulties may benefit from intervention programs that include instruction in “higher-level” strategies to support and enhance their handwriting performance.

Participation in daily activities and quality of life in survivors of retinoblastoma

To assess the participation and health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) of survivors of childhood retinoblastoma (RB).

Developmental Trends in Handwriting Performance among Middle School Children

The purpose of this study was to describe developmental trends in handwriting performance and determine which handwriting components influence legibility among middle school students. One hundred thirty-four Israeli students in grades 7 to 9 (age range = 12 to 15.5 years, mean age = 13.5 years) who wrote in Hebrew were assessed using a standardized handwriting test. Results indicated that legibility and speed did not improve from year to year, the handwriting performance of girls was significantly better than that of boys, and letter formation (but not spatial organization) significantly contributed to handwriting legibility. These results support findings from studies relating to the English language and may assist occupational therapists who work in middle schools to both identify students with handwriting difficulties and develop appropriate intervention programs. Yet, because this is one of the few studies that relates to handwriting performance of middle school students, additional studies on other aspects of this skill in this age group are necessary.

The Influence of Environmental Factors on the Development of Ultra‐Orthodox Preschool Boys in Israel

The study objectives were: (a) to compare the prevalence of children at risk and/or with developmental delay (at risk/delayed) among the Ultra-Orthodox community with the prevalence reported in the literature and (b) to compare the performance of Ultra-Orthodox children in kindergarten versus that of children in preschool. To this end, motor, visual-motor integration and cognitive performance of 203 Ultra-Orthodox boys from low socio-economic status were assessed. We found a higher percentage of children who were at risk/delayed in gross motor and motor-cognitive skills as compared with the percentage reported in the literature. However, as opposed to expected, the results did not show that there was a higher percent of at-risk/delayed children among the kindergarten group as compared with those among the preschool group. Our findings are consistent with the research literature suggesting that childrens cultural background and economic constraints can affect their motor and cognitive development. Thus, occupational therapists and other health professionals should be more culturally competent and more aware of the specific values and practices of families of children with whom they work, which can impact their development. However, in this study, it is difficult to distinguish between the influence of the cultural factors and the influence of socio-economic factors. Therefore, it is recommended to repeat this study among children from either low socio-economic status or other cultural backgrounds.

Participation in Physical Activity, Fitness, and Risk for Obesity in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Cross-cultural Study.

Decreased physical activity has been linked to poor fitness and obesity, resulting in increased risk for health concerns. The objective is to study the relationships between childrens motor coordination and their physical activity, sedentary behaviour, fitness and weight status in a cross-cultural study in the United States and Israel. Participants included 118 children 6-11 years of age: 53 children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and 65 typical children. The US sample included 31 DCD children and 44 typical children. The Israeli sample included 22 DCD children and 21 typical children. Participants were assessed on Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2, strength test of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency 2 and Six-minute Walk Test and wore an accelerometer. Parents completed physical activity questionnaires and demographic information. Body mass index was calculated based on height and weight. Testing took place in two sessions. Findings are that in both Israel and the United States, children with DCD demonstrated significantly reduced physical activity, increased sedentary behaviour, poorer fitness and increased overweight compared with typical children. No significant differences were found for country. With relevance to clinical practice, fitness and obesity are major concerns for children with DCD in both countries. Inclusion of occupational therapy in health promotion for this population is critical. Additional studies with testers blind to group, larger samples and other countries are recommended.

Efficacy of a crisis intervention in improving mother-child interaction and children's play functioning

OBJECTIVE We examined the efficacy of a crisis-based intervention in improving mother-child interaction and childrens play functioning for families who had experienced domestic violence. METHOD Using a pretest-posttest two-group control study design, we assigned the intervention group (n=20 mother-child dyads) to the Family Intervention for Improving Occupational Performance (FI-OP) program and the control group (n=17 dyads) to a playroom program. Both programs consisted of eight 30-min sessions. We videotaped dyads during free play and used standardized tools to assess interactions, play skills, and playfulness. RESULTS After the intervention, mother-child interaction was significantly better in the FI-OP group than in the playroom group. The children in the FI-OP group also demonstrated significantly greater improvement in play skills, but not in playfulness. CONCLUSION FI-OP is a promising program for improving aspects of mother-child interaction and childrens play functioning among survivors of domestic violence.

Enhancing classroom participation of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Background. Students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have been found to participate less in school-based activities. Purpose. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a combined in-service and collaborative consultation intervention model for enhancing classroom participation of students with IDD. Method. The Collaborative Consultation for Participation of Students With IDD (Co-PID) program involved a multidisciplinary team (an occupational therapist and 17 teachers) as well as 35 students and was compared to an in-service program (20 teachers and 34 students). Students were 8 to 20 years old. The programs aimed to enhance three classroom participation components: communicating, choosing, and initiating. Findings. The Co-PID was found to significantly improve students’ participation in all areas, whereas the participation of the students in the in-service group decreased. Implications. A school-based multidisciplinary intervention program for students with IDD, combining in-service and collaborative consultation (e.g., Co-PID), may assist in enhancing classroom participation among students with IDD.