# Comparing the Pre-writing Skills of Diplegic Cerebral Palsy Children to Those of Normal Children

## TL;DR

This study compares the pre-writing skills of children with diplegic cerebral palsy to those of typically developing children, finding significant differences in pencil grasp and drawing patterns.

## Contribution

The study provides empirical evidence of pre-writing skill delays in diplegic cerebral palsy children compared to normal children.

## Key findings

- Diplegic CP children showed significantly different pencil grasp patterns compared to normal children (t=3.515, P=0.001).
- Drawing patterns also differed significantly between the two groups (t=5.796, P=0.001).
- Diplegic CP children exhibited lower performance and greater variability in pre-writing skills.

## Abstract

Introduction: The pencil grasp and drawing patterns are specific to different age levels. So, if one knows a certain pattern for that particular age, it will guide the intervention plan for children with cerebral palsy (CP). The chances of improvement in diplegic CP are possible with the help of early intervention; therefore, early intervention is only possible if one knows the areas of delay and the age at which the intervention should be started.

Material and methods: It was a cross-sectional, case-control study. A total of 60 children were selected for the study, of which 30 (50%) were normal and 30 (50%) had diplegic cerebral palsy. A convenient sampling method is used for evaluation.

Results: The t-value for pencil grasp between the two groups, i.e., normal and CP diplegic, was 3.515 (P=0.001), revealing a significant difference in the grasp pattern of the two groups. Similarly, the t-value for drawing patterns between the two groups, i.e., normal and CP diplegic, was 5.796 (P = 0.001). A significant difference was found in the drawing patterns of both groups.

Conclusion: Our study found that diplegic CP children performed lower on the Erhardt Developmental Prehension Assessment (EDPA) and showed larger variation in the pencil grasp and drawing than the normal children.