Directionality in Down Syndrome Children: Is There a Difference?
The main disability associated with DS is a cognitive deficit
which is thought to influence children’s ability to perceive
process and make use of relevant information to solve problems
and engage in appropriate behaviour (Carr, 1985). For a
significant number of children with DS, the acquisition of motor
skills is also difficult. Their rate of motor development tends
to be slower than that of children who develop typically and
their movements are often less coordinated and efficient (Block,
1991). The association between atypical laterality and DS has
been reported several times (Groen et al, 2007). Moreover,
researchers have indicated that factors like cerebral asymmetry
and/or ageing, reading habits influence directionality and
performance on tasks including directionality trends in whole-
body movements. The present study investigates: a) DS children’s
directionality trends in writing and drawing, b) their innate
directional tendencies in who