Deconstructing handwriting in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder

The Detailed Assessment of Speed of Handwriting (DASH) assessment provides information about the speed and legibility of an individual's handwriting without addressing the underlying mechanisms related to these issues. It is commonly used in Education settings to identify children who may require assistance, a particular population is children with Developmental Coordination Disorder. With a better understanding of both the biomechanical and neurological underpinnings of the task, individualized interpretations and interventions can be developed for these children.

We will examine the relationship between brain activity, behavioural and performance outcomes, by combining a standardized referenced norm test the DASH, the online process of handwriting using the MovAlyzeR software, and simultaneously exploring the brain activity, using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRs), during the execution of the task.