All of our research is conducted by the staff of the School of Occupational Therapy of Hadassah and the Hebrew University and in national and international collaborations with physicians, computer scientists, and psychologists.
1. Early Identification of Developmental Coordination Disorder
Population: Pre-school children
Goal: To date, sufficient criteria for the identification of DCD at the pre-school level do not exist. We intend to develop questionnaires for parents and kindergarten teachers, adapted to Israeli society. By using these questionnaires to assess large numbers of preschool children, we will be able to establish normative coordination profiles which will, in turn, assist in early diagnosis of children who suffer from coordination problems and, through prevention programs, reduce secondary conditions.
2. DCD and Concurrent Disabilities
Population: School-aged children
Goal: A high percentage of DCD children have concurrent disabilities which increase their functional difficulties, and as a result decrease their quality of life. These co-occurring disabilities, such as learning disabilities and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, have implications on academic achievement. We intend to identify the type and prevalence of common concurrent disabilities. This will enable children diagnosed with DCD to receive maximum assistance at the earliest possible stage and prevent the development of these disabilities.
3. DCD in adolescence and adults
Population: Adolescents and adults
Goal: It has only recently become apparent that problems in coordination do not disappear in adolescence and adulthood. There is, therefore, a dearth of assessments of the varying degrees of motor competence after early childhood. We intend to develop a questionnaire which will be used as a self-informant for the diagnosis of DCD in older populations.
In addition, since the diagnosis of DCD in older populations has hardly been researched, we intend to investigate the implications of this disorder on participation in activities of daily living in various contexts such as in the home, higher educational institutions, army and work environments.
4. Development of Hebrew handwriting assessments
Population: School aged children from fourth grade
Goal: Children with handwriting problems (dysgraphia) reportedly constitute between 10-20% of school age children. The Hebrew language has different characteristics than those of Latin-based languages (the direction differs, letters are written separately, there are no vowels or capital letters.) As such, there is a need to develop assessments for evaluating Hebrew handwriting performance.
The School of Occupational Therapy of Hadassah and the Hebrew University developed a widely used, standardized handwriting assessment tool for use with children up to and including third grade. We intend to expand this tool by developing a standardized assessment for children in all grades until the completion of high school. This tool will be used to assess whether or not the student requires adapted testing in general and for matriculation examinations specifically. These assessments will also serve as the basis for intervention and consultation programs.
5. Intervention programs for handwriting disabilities
Population: School-aged children (from age 6)
Goal: Children with handwriting disabilities have serious difficulty copying from the board, completing tests on time and writing at the required speed in a legible manner. As a result, their academic performance may not accurately reflect their intellectual potential. In addition to the implications for academic performance, these difficulties may have negative social and emotional consequences.
Due to the high percentage of children with handwriting difficulties, it is essential to find solutions to enable full participation in educational activities. We plan on developing effective intervention programs for enhancing academic performance in the classroom and promoting the well-being of these children.