The Relationship between Parent- and Child-reported Perceptions of Children’s Handwriting Quality and Skills

Handwriting is an important daily occupation for children. When assessing children’s handwriting, it is recommended that clinicians use objective handwriting performance tests as well as solicit children’s and parents’ perspectives to promote client-centered practice. However, it remains unknown to what extent objective handwriting performance test results reflect children’s and parents’ perspectives about children’s handwriting itself. This study investigates the relationship between subjective perceptions of children’s handwriting legibility with the objectively assessed quality of children’s handwriting. Twenty-seven pairs of school-aged children and parents were recruited. Both groups completed the Handwriting Proficiency Screening Questionnaire (HPSQ) and “Here’s How I Write” (HHIW) instrument. Children also completed the Evaluation Tool of Children’s Handwriting (ETCH). Data were analyzed using Spearman’s rho correlations and linear regressions with bootstrapping. Children- and parent-reported perceptions were significantly correlated (rho =.50, p =.008). Children’s perceptions of their own handwriting legibility predicted ETCH letter legibility (p <.001); parents’ perceptions of their children’s handwriting legibility predicted ETCH word legibility (p <.003). The reported perceptions of children’s handwriting quality provide significant information to the overall children’s handwriting assessment process. Therapists should solicit children’s and parents’ perspectives to optimize a holistic approach to children’s handwriting assessment.