Reduced graphomotor procedural learning in children and adolescents with ADHD

•Graphomotor procedural learning in children with ADHD and controls is investigated.•Groups of children with ADHD and controls completed a handwriting task on a digitizing tablet.•Controls significantly improved in graphomotor fluency and automaticity across learning trials.•Children with ADHD did not significantly improve, suggesting reduced procedural learning. Purpose: The present study sought to determine if children and adolescents with ADHD demonstrate reduced procedural learning of a graphomotor program. Method: Thirty-two children and adolescents between age 9 and 15 with (n = 16) and without ADHD (n = 16) participated in the study. Each group of participants practiced a novel grapheme on a digitizing tablet 30 times. Participants with ADHD were off stimulant medication or were medication naïve. Results: Control participants demonstrated significant improvement in graphomotor fluency from the beginning to the end of practice, T = 2, z = −2.534, p = .009, whereas participants with ADHD did not, T = 4, z = −1.810, p = .074. Conclusions: Consistent with findings in adults with ADHD, results indicate that graphomotor procedural learning in children and adolescents with ADHD is attenuated. Findings have implications for future research that may inform remediation of handwriting difficulties, academic accommodations, and using digitizing technology for neuropsychological assessment.