Visual Motor Scores and Handwriting

Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics published research on the relationships between fine-motor, visual-motor, and visual perception scores and handwriting legibility and speed. Klein et. al. evaluated 99 third through sixth graders with learning or behavioral problems. Each child was assessed with the following: Upper-Limb Speed and Dexterity Subtest of the Bruininks–Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, the Beery–Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration—5th Edition, the Test of Visual Perceptual Skills—Revised, the Visual Skills Appraisal, and a handwriting copying task. The results indicated:

statistical analysis indicated that variance in handwriting based on the assessments was greater than or equal to 20% for legibility and greater than or equal to 26% for speed
only scores on the Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration were different between skilled and non skilled handwriters

The researchers suggest that occupational therapists explore other influential factors besides sensory motor for handwriting difficulties because of low correlations between the assessments and handwriting ability.

Reference: Sheryl Klein, Val Guiltner, Patti Sollereder and Ying Cui
Relationships Between Fine-Motor, Visual-Motor, and Visual Perception Scores and Handwriting Legibility and Speed Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics 2011 31:1, 103-114