PuMA Lab (Perception and Motion Analysis)

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About us

The work that we carry out in the PuMA Lab falls focuses on many different aspects of motor control which includes how perception and motor control work together, handwriting skills and the development of assessment tools. 

We are interested in both typical and atypical development in children and adults, with a major focus on Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) and associated difficulties. However, our research also encompasses other groups including older adults and individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

If you are a parent of a child with DCD or an adult with DCD looking for avenues please see our collected resources and support.

Two cameras pointing towards a hand with sensors

Latest projects

Wellbeing, self-concept and diagnosis in adults with DCD

In collaboration with Dr. Clare Rathbone (also at Oxford Brookes) this study considered self-concept (the way we see ourselves) and wellbeing in adults with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) / Dyspraxia. We asked both adults with a diagnosis of DCD and adults who self-identified as having DCD about the way in the way in which they saw their DCD, that is, the things they said were important to them about their DCD. We also asked about memories which supported those self-concepts. We have created a 'Wellbeing in Dyspraxia' non-academic summary which explains this study.

We are currently looking to extend this work and have set up a steering group of people with lived experience to help guide our future work.

Dr Clare Rathbone

Movement and anxiety

Sophie Harris (a PhD student in this lab) focused her research on how anxiety influences how we move. She considered this in adults both with and without DCD/Dyspraxia. She asked people about their anxiety levels and then asked them to walk through apertures or gaps created by wooden doorways and measured how they moved.

You can find a non-academic summary of the work with adults with DCD / Dyspraxia in the 'What changes how we move' infographic.

You can also read the three academic papers Sophie published during her PhD:

  1. The first considered the nature of anxiety, resilience self-concept in adults with DCD / Dyspraxia: Anxiety, confidence and self-concept in adults with and without developmental coordination disorder
  2. The second considered how anxiety influence movement in adults without movement difficulties: The role of anxiety and self-efficacy in movement
  3. The final one considered how anxiety influences movement in adults with DCD / Dyspraxia: Does how I feel change how I move? The influence of anxiety, self-efficacy and resilience on movement in adults with Developmental Coordination Disorder

A photo of Sophie Harris

New Assessment tools

A hand placing a peg in a peg board

Anna has worked with the international test publisher, Pearson, to produce three revised assessment tools: The Movement ABC-3 Test, Movement ABC-3 Checklist and the Detailed Assessment of the Speed of Handwriting - 2nd Edition (DASH-2). Building on the popularity of previous versions, these have been revised on the basis of user feedback and new normative data collected from the UK, Australia and New Zealand. The revisions include an extended age range, with the Movement ABC-3 Test and Checklist now suitable for 3-25 year-olds and DASH-2 for 8-25 year-olds. The tests are already proving popular, with uptake from a range of education and health/allied health professionals across the world. Descriptions of all three tests and further information can be found on the Pearson website 

An adult writing in a notebook

Anna has also worked with colleagues to produce an assessment for the quality of writing in Higher Education (HE) students, The Writing Quality Scale (WQS). This is designed to be used with the DASH/DASH-2 mentioned above.

A boy writing

In a new project, Anna is working with colleagues at the University of Ulster and collaborators from South Africa, India and Egypt to develop an App for scanning handwriting samples from school children in low and middle income countries. The App will incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) models to help identify young children at risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. The work is funded by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) International Science Partnership Fund (ISPF) at the University of Ulster. 

The genetics of motor coordination

Anna is working with colleagues at the University of Oxford and University of Edinburgh to investigate the genetics of motor coordination in a project funded by The Waterloo Foundation. The project involves using existing data from two large population studies: the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) and the Norwegian Mothers, Fathers and Children Study (MoBa). These cohorts provide rich genetic and behavioural data on 54,000 individuals through which to measure motor coordination. State-of-the-art methods called meta-genome-wide association study (meta-GWAS) are being used, which allows the combination of multiple datasets to maximise sample size. 

The aim is to identify the specific genes and genetic variants that underlie motor coordination difficulties and DCD. The discovery of genes that influence coordination will implicate molecular and biological pathways which, in turn, will help us to understand why so many children experience motor difficulties. Initial findings from this project are published in the Genome-Wide Association Study of Motor Coordination paper.

A chromosome

Cycling

A child riding a cycle

Kate is working with colleagues at Cardiff University (Dr. Catherine Purcell) and the Bikeability Trust to assess cycle training in children with Special Educational Needs (SEND) and / or disabilities. To date this has included an initial study to evaluate the effectiveness of tailored cycle training for children with SEND. This work has been published, read the 'Parent perceptions of cycle training for children with special education needs and disabilities: What drives intention to cycle?' study

This work resulted in additional funding for the Bikeability Trust to allow greater provision for cycle instructors working with children with SEND. 

It also resulted in The Bikeability Trust creating a CPD course for instructors focusing on cycle training for children with SEND. Kate and Catherine considered the effectiveness of that training for instructors. 

Anna is working with local partners in Oxford to deliver a ‘Learn to ride a bike’ programme for children with movement difficulties. The programme is run mainly by experienced volunteers, with leadership from the Fire Service (who are responsible for road safety in Oxfordshire), in collaboration with Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and Oxford Brookes University. The week-long programme runs for 1-2 hours each morning during the school holidays. 

For further information and booking email: learntrabike@gmail.com 

Handwriting and typing

Typing is an important skill for education and beyond and is often recommended for those with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) and/or Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) when handwriting is a challenge. Anna and colleagues have recently published a review of selected research on typing skill in DCD and SLD. The purpose of the review is to identify current knowledge of typing skill in these groups to enhance understanding and inform future work on assessment, accommodations, and intervention. Read the Understanding Typing Skill in Students With Developmental Disorders study to find out more. 

Anna and colleagues have also conducted a study to examine typing in English speaking students in Higher Education, with and without Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs). The results showed that typing speeds were faster than handwriting in both groups, but the SpLD group had slower typing and handwriting speeds than their peers. Most students reported using non-standard typing techniques and a preference for typing over handwriting, with comfort cited as one of the main reasons. The findings challenge whether typing is an appropriate accommodation. They also highlight the importance of collecting information about the typing process and student perceptions and preferences to help inform decisions about accommodations and whether the provision of additional support for typing would be beneficial. The findings of this study will be published shortly. 

A child writing