HANDWRITING ASSESSMENT FOR CHILDREN WITH AGE RANGE (4- 12 YEARS OLD): A SCOPING REVIEW

Abstract

This scoping review aims to explore the existing literature on handwriting assessment in children with developmental disabilities compared to typically developing children, using the Handwriting Frame of References (FOR) as a framework. The study follows the PRISMA-Scoping Review guidelines and retrieves evidence published between 2011 and July 2021 from four databases, including EBSCO, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science. The selected articles are evaluated using the Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool (CCAT) for quality, and 30 articles are ultimately included in the study, with CCAT scores ranging from 58% to 88%. The study finds that only three out of the fifteen handwriting assessments align with the handwriting FOR. The selected articles are categorized based on the Handwriting FOR’s domain for handwriting performance. The findings reveal that further research is needed to explore the impact of environmental factors on handwriting performance in children. Despite the limitations of this study, such as the restricted search criteria and the use of only one FOR, it provides a comprehensive overview of the existing literature on handwriting assessment in children with developmental disabilities compared to typically developing children. This review highlights the need for standardized handwriting assessments that are in line with the handwriting FOR and suggests that the assessment of environmental factors should be considered when evaluating handwriting performance in children.