Hill, Elisabeth L. and Bishop, Dorothy V.. 1998. A Reaching Test Reveals Weak Hand Preference in Specific Language Impairment and Developmental Co-ordination Disorder. Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition, 3(4), pp. 295-310. ISSN 1357-650X [Article]

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Abstract or Description

A reaching test for quantifying hand preference (QHP task) was given to 7- to 11-year-old children with specific language impairment (SLI) or developmental coordination disorder (DCD). The performance of these clinical children was compared to both an age-matched and younger control group. The four groups did not differ in terms of preferred writing hand or preference on a handedness questionnaire. The QHP measure discriminated the clinical and younger control
groups from the age-matched controls, but not from each other. Right-handed children with SLI, DCD, and the younger controls reached predominantly with the
right hand to spatial positions located to the right of their body’ s midline and with the left hand to positions situated to its left. Right-handers in the age-matched
control group showed a significantly greater tendency to use their right hand to reach to all spatial positions. The increased tendency of the children with SLI to
use the non-preferred hand was particularly striking because it was seen both in those with and without recognised motor difficulties. The QHP task appears to be a sensitive, but non-specific, indicator of developmental disorders.

Item Type:	Article
Identification Number (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1080/713754314
Keywords:	specific language impairment, developmental coordination disorder, dyspraxia, reaching, midline, lateralisation
Departments, Centres and Research Units:	Psychology
Dates:	Date Event 1998 Published
Funders:	Funding body Funder ID Grant Number Medical Research Council UNSPECIFIED
Item ID:	2594
Date Deposited:	18 Mar 2010 14:05
Last Modified:	30 Jun 2017 15:46
Peer Reviewed:	Yes, this version has been peer-reviewed.
URI:	https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/2594

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