Graphomotor Intervention Program for Handwriting Difficulties Prevention in School-Age
Graphomotor Intervention Program for Handwriting Difficulties Prevention in School-Age
12-30% of children present handwriting difficulties, which has negative repercussions on
 their school career. For this reason, it is fundamental to bet on their prevention. The aim
 of present study is to examine the effects of a graphomotor intervention program on quality
 and speed of handwriting in second-grade children. This experimental study is a randomized
 controlled trial. The program will run for 8 weeks (2 sessions/week of 30 minutes), followed
 by 6 months of follow-up without intervention. Participants will be assessed 1) at baseline,
 2) at the end of the program, and 3) after the follow-up. Participants will be randomly
 allocated to two groups: experimental group (graphomotor intervention program) and control
 group.
According to estimates (1), 30% to 60% of the school day is spent performing tasks involving
 handwriting. It is also in this period that the formal learning of handwriting begins (2).
 However, not all children are able to develop proficient handwriting (3-4).

 According to Alhusaini, Melam and Buragadda (5) 12% to 30% of children present difficulties
 in handwriting, with negative consequences for school success (6).

 Children who fail to develop proficient handwriting are entitled to "poor writers" or
 "dysgraphics" (7-8).

 Dysgraphia refers to a "disturbance or difficulty in the production of written language
 related to the mechanics of writing" (9). Ajuriaguerra (8) defines it as a writing whose
 quality is deficient, without any neurological or intellectual deficit explaining it.
 Generally, handwriting is less legible and organized, contains more erasures and corrections,
 and exhibits a slower speed (9).

 In addition, this is one of the main reasons for referral and consultation in psychomotricity
 in school-age (10), for this reason it is fundamental to bet on the prevention of them.

 The need for prevention and early intervention is indisputable (11). Several studies indicate
 that both the benefits of late intervention are well-known, because the time is often
 difficult to correct handwriting difficulties (12-13).

 Most of the existing studies focus on remediation of handwriting (14). There is evidence of
 its efficacy in handwriting improvement, depending on its duration, frequency and method of
 treatment (5, 7, 15).

 There are few studies dedicated to the prevention of handwriting difficulties (14). In
 addition, to my knowledge, there is no study whose intervention is based on a psychomotor
 approach. Based on this, a graphomotor intervention program with a psychomotor approach was
 developed, by Matias and Vieira (16), who will apply in this study to children in the second
 grade of elementary school.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Children in the second grade (aged 7 years old);

 -  Participation agreement;

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Diagnosed or suspected of neurological disabilities (e.g., cerebral palsy, epilepsy),
 psychiatric and/or behavioural disorders;

 -  Presence of uncorrected vision and hearing problems;

 -  Referenced by Special Education/National Service of Early Intervention in Childhood;

 -  Presence of one or more school retentions;

 -  Native language is not Portuguese;

 -  Children with direct intervention in graphomotor skills or who had a similar
 intervention to that proposed less than 1 year ago;

 -  Participation in the intervention program of less than 80%;

 -  Children undergoing drug therapy (e.g., antihistamines) that interfere with the study
 variables;

 -  Do not wish to participate in the study.