Training Compliance Control Yields Improvements in Drawing as a Function of Beery Scores

Winona Snapp-Childs,Aaron Fath,Mark Mon-Williams,Geoffrey P Bingham,Ian Flatters,Andrew Bremner

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0092464

Winona Snapp-Childs, Aaron Fath + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0092464

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Journal: PloS one	Publication Date: Mar 20, 2014
Citations: 37	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Indiana University Bloomington, University of Leeds

Abstract

Many children have difficulty producing movements well enough to improve in sensori-motor learning. Previously, we developed a training method that supports active movement generation to allow improvement at a 3D tracing task requiring good compliance control. Here, we tested 7–8 year old children from several 2nd grade classrooms to determine whether 3D tracing performance could be predicted using the Beery VMI. We also examined whether 3D tracing training lead to improvements in drawing. Baseline testing included Beery, a drawing task on a tablet computer, and 3D tracing. We found that baseline performance in 3D tracing and drawing co-varied with the visual perception (VP) component of the Beery. Differences in 3D tracing between children scoring low versus high on the Beery VP replicated differences previously found between children with and without motor impairments, as did post-training performance that eliminated these differences. Drawing improved as a result of training in the 3D tracing task. The training method improved drawing and reduced differences predicted by Beery scores.

Highlights

We created a method for training children to develop better compliance control to enable them to improve their manual actions, including drawing and or handwriting [1]
Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)-Q and Beery VMI First we examined scores for the DCD-Q and the Beery VMI to describe the characteristics of population tested
Some of the scores fell into the range typically associated with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD); in this study, none of the children were diagnosed as DCD

Summary

Introduction

We created a method for training children to develop better compliance control to enable them to improve their manual actions, including drawing and or handwriting [1]. The training method was developed to overcome a problem faced by children in sensori-motor learning, and to allow them to learn effectively. Because it is automated, the training method does not, in principle, require the presence of a trainer. We tested children diagnosed as having Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). Developmental Coordination Disorder is understood to be a perceptuo-motor disorder [2] where children exhibit poor gross motor control, poor fine motor control, or both [3]. We test school children who exhibit a range of fine motor coordination abilities. We test whether the training transfers to improved drawing ability

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