Screening for motor dysgraphia in public schools

• Main Authors: Marielza Regina Ismael Martins (Author), José Alexandre Bastos (Author), Angela Traldi Cecato (Author), Maria de Lourdes Souza Araujo (Author), Rafael Ribeiro Magro (Author), Vinicios Alaminos (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Brazilian Society of Pediatrics, 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 2255-5536; 10.1016/j.jpedp.2012.08.008
• Keywords: Screening; Dysgraphia; Learning disorders; Pediatrics; RJ1-570
• Source: Jornal de Pediatria (Versão em Português), Vol 89, Iss 1, Pp 70-74 (2013)

Objective: To screen for warning signs of dysgraphia in schoolchildren at the sixth grade of elementary school. Method: This was a descriptive, exploratory, cross-sectional cohort study performed with 630 schoolchildren assessed through the (adapted) Analytical Dysgraphia Inventory, which recognizes difficulties in writing through the tracing the graphics. Results: A total of 22% (n = 138) of the sample presented all indications of dysgraphia; the most prevalent indicator was ascending/descending/fluctuating lines (53.6%). When the indicators were correlated to gender, males showed a significant difference (p < 0.05) in most of them. Among the warning signs of co-occurrences, dyslexia was the most prevalent indicator (22%). Conclusion: Given the large number of warning signs of dysgraphia observed in schoolchildren, it is advisable to screen for these signs, in order to implement early interventions.