Motor assessment in school-aged children with indicators of the attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Introduction. Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most frequent disorders in childhood. In the literature there are claims that ADHD is associated with important comorbidities, which include disorders affecting motor coordination. Aim. To evaluate motor development of schoolchildren with ADHD indicators. Patients and methods. The sample used in our study consisted of 31 schoolchildren (aged between 7.3 and 10.8 years) studying in the first and second years of primary education in state-run schools in Florianopolis, SC, Brazil, who had ADHD indicators in accordance with DSM-IV (Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders) and attention deficit with hyperactivity disorder evaluation scale (EDAH) criteria, which had been answered by teachers and parents. Motor evaluation was evaluated using the Motor Development Scale. The Epi Info 3.2.2 software application was used for descriptive statistics. Results. Findings showed that 48.4% of the schoolchildren had a motor development that was considered to be 'low average' according to the Motor Development Scale; 35.5% were 'inferior'; 9.7% were 'very inferior'; and 6.4% were found to be 'medium average'. The mean motor development of the group as a whole was classified as being 'low average'; the greatest difficulties were temporal organisation ('very inferior'), spatial organisation ('inferior') and balance ('inferior'). Fine motor control, general motor control and body schema were classified as 'low average'. With respect to laterality, 48.4% were right-handed, 48.4% had crossed laterality and 3.2% had undefined laterality Conclusions. These results are in line with studies that suggest the existence of alterations in the motor coordination of children with symptoms of ADHD.