Abstract
BackgroundMany children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) display motor deficiencies during their daily routine, which may have impact on their developmental course. Children with ADHD who experience motor deficiencies often display deficits in tasks requiring movements, such as handwriting.AimThis study investigated deficiencies in fine motor skills in primary school children with ADHD. The study further sought to establish whether ADHD subtypes differ in deficiencies of fine motor performance, recorded for both the dominant and non-dominant hands.MethodsThe Disruptive Behavior Disorders Rating Scale, completed by educators and parents, was used to screen for ADHD symptoms. Researchers confirmed the diagnosis of ADHD. Motor functioning was assessed using the Grooved Pegboard and Maze Coordination. The children diagnosed with ADHD were matched for age and gender with controls without ADHD. The sample consisted of an ADHD group (160) and control group (160) of primary school children from the Moletjie area.ResultsChildren with ADHD (predominantly inattentive subtype) and ADHD (combined subtype) performed significantly more poorly than the control group on the Grooved Pegboard (p < 0.05) with both the dominant and non-dominant hand. No significant difference between the hyperactivity and impulsiveness subtype and the controls were found. There was no difference on the Maze Coordination Task (p > 0.05) between the ADHD subtypes and the controls.ConclusionDifficulties in fine motor skills are prevalent in children with ADHD, particularly in the ADHD-PI and ADHD-C. Problems are encountered in distal, complex, speeded tasks. The effect may lead to poor handwriting and academic performance.
Highlights
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common, long-lasting, manageable childhood psychiatric disorder, characterised by a pattern of developmentally inappropriate inattention, motor restlessness and impulsiveness.[1]
The participants were classified according to subtype: ADHD-HI (n = 19, 12%), ADHD-PI (n = 81, 51%) and ADHD-C (n = 60, 37%)
This finding is consistent with most other studies,[15,39,47] which found that the most pronounced impairment of motor functioning was in children with symptoms of ADHD-PI and ADHD-C subtypes and that inattention may affect motor skills.[3,48,49]
Summary
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common, long-lasting, manageable childhood psychiatric disorder, characterised by a pattern of developmentally inappropriate inattention, motor restlessness and impulsiveness.[1] It affects approximately 3% – 7% of school-aged children worldwide[1] and is characterised by symptoms of severe inattention, impulsiveness and overactivity.[2] Poor motor coordination or motor performance is another common coexisting difficulty in children with ADHD, though it has received less attention in research.[3] Children with ADHD who experience motor difficulties often display deficits in tasks requiring coordination of complex movements, such as handwriting. Children with ADHD who experience motor deficiencies often display deficits in tasks requiring movements, such as handwriting
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