When i was a little kid i had motor skill problems(hard time gripping pencil, tying shoes, etc). does this put me at increased risk of developing als?

Not at all: We do NOT know the cause of ALS in the vast majority of cases, and only a small number are genetic. Your childhood issues do NOT put you at risk.

Not at all: Fine motor deficits are found in up to 15% of normal kids who go on to have healthy lives (although handwriting may be poor). I look at it as either genetically influenced or related to some factor in the womb as the nerve circuits were connecting. Sometimes they get misdirected. ALS is a confusing issue that is more of an autoimmune disease like rheumatoid arthritis/Crones/etc.