,

ADHD and Fine Motor Skills

Did you know that ADHD affects approximately 3% – 7% of school-aged children worldwide? The symptoms of ADHD may include severe inattention, impulsiveness and overactivity and many children also display poor motor coordination. Pervious research indicates motor problems in children with ADHD 30% to 52% of the time. This can influence many skills such a handwriting, school tasks, playtime, sports, and physical activity. A recent study examined specifically ADHD and fine motor skills in primary school children who were diagnosed with ADHD.

Methodology of the Study on ADHD and Fine Motor Skills

Educators and parents completed the Disruptive Behavior Disorders Rating Scale and the researchers confirmed the diagnosis of ADHD. In order to evaluate fine motor skill functioning he Grooved Pegboard and Maze Coordination was completed. The Grooved Pegboard task measures distal, complex fine motor coordination and psychomotor speed. The Maze Coordination tasks measures tactual coordination skills and motor planning. There were 160 children with ADHD and 160 children in the control group.

Results

The results of the study on ADHD and fine motor skills indicated the following:

  • children 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.
  • no difference on the Maze Coordination Task (p > 0.05) between the ADHD subtypes and the controls was recorded.

Conclusion on ADHD and Fine Motor Skills

The researchers concluded that fine motor assessments should be part of evaluations for children with ADHD. Fine motor skill interventions should be included in for the treatment of children with ADHD and co-existing fine motor problems. Deficits in fine motor skills are prevalent in children with ADHD, particularly in the ADHD-PI and ADHD-C. As recorded on the Grooved Pegboard task, difficulties were present in distal, complex, speeded tasks. This could lead to poor handwriting and academic performance.

Reference: Mokobane, M., Pillay, B. J., & Meyer, A. (2019). Fine motor deficits and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in primary school children. South African Journal of Psychiatry25(1). Read the full text here.

Need Resources to Help Children Develop Fine Motor Skills?

Here are several resources to help children practice complex, speeded tasks:

Motor Minute Challenges digital download includes  20 fine motor, gross motor and visual motor challenges to complete.  Complete each challenge sheet by finishing pictures, mazes, physical activities and more.  Time the tasks for 1-3 minutes or let the child complete each one at his/her own pace.  These pages are great for challenges at home, indoor recess time, rainy day activities and push in or pull out therapy sessions.

Busy OTs, teachers, and parents will love these Fantastic Fingers® Fine Motor Skill Builders to develop hand function in children.  Three levels of fine motor activities are ready to go! 

We all understand that children need practice time to develop hand function that is essential for life skills. But it can be a real struggle to find the time to create graded levels of activities to complete at home or in the classroom.

Developed by an experienced OT, Ingrid C. King, the Fantastic Fingers® Fine Motor Skill Builders includes 54 pages total of 3 levels of fine motor activities.