Research Article
Issue Date: November/December 2018
Published Online: October 22, 2018
Updated: April 30, 2020
Graphical Product Quality and Muscle Activity in Children With Mild Disabilities Drawing on a Horizontally or Vertically Oriented Tablet
Sigal Portnoy; Aviva Mimouni-Bloch; Limor Rosenberg; Hagar Offek; Tamar Berman; Michal Kochavi; Gal Orman; Jason Friedman
Author Affiliations
  • Sigal Portnoy, PhD, is Lecturer, Department of Occupational Therapy, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; portnoys@post.tau.ac.il
  • Aviva Mimouni-Bloch, MD, is Director, Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Unit, Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital, Raanana, Israel, and Senior Lecturer, Department of Pediatrics, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
  • Limor Rosenberg, PhD, OT, is Senior Teacher, Department of Occupational Therapy, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
  • Hagar Offek, MSc, is Researcher, Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Unit, Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital, Raanana, Israel
  • Tamar Berman is Occupational Therapy Student, Department of Occupational Therapy, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
  • Michal Kochavi is Occupational Therapy Student, Department of Occupational Therapy, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
  • Gal Orman is Occupational Therapy Student, Department of Occupational Therapy, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
  • Jason Friedman, PhD, is Senior Lecturer, Department of Physical Therapy, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Article Information
Pediatric Evaluation and Intervention / Rehabilitation, Participation, and Disability / Research Articles
Research Article   |   October 22, 2018
Graphical Product Quality and Muscle Activity in Children With Mild Disabilities Drawing on a Horizontally or Vertically Oriented Tablet
American Journal of Occupational Therapy, October 2018, Vol. 72, 7206205040. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2018.027532
American Journal of Occupational Therapy, October 2018, Vol. 72, 7206205040. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2018.027532
Abstract

OBJECTIVE. We compared performance level and muscle activity patterns during shape copying and tracing in two positions, while sitting at a desk and while standing in front of a wall, between typically developing (TD) preschool children and children with mild disabilities (MD).

METHOD. Twenty-two TD children (8 boys, 14 girls; mean [M] age = 5.2 yr, standard deviation [SD] = 0.1) and 13 children with MD (9 boys, 4 girls; M age = 4.9 yr, SD = 0.5) participated in this study.

RESULTS. The children performed faster and smoother movements when copying shapes on the vertical surface, with no reduction of accuracy, than on the horizontal surface. Children with MD exerted their upper trapezius while performing the short tasks on the vertical surface compared with their muscle activity on the horizontal surface.

CONCLUSION. Incorporating short copying or drawing tasks on a vertical surface may increase the control of proximal muscles and ease graphomotor performance in children with MD.