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DCDDevelopmental METHOD One hundred and forty-four Taiwanese children with DCD aged 6 to 12 years (87 males, 57 females) were tested on three separate occasions: two baseline measurements with a 20-day interval before the intervention, and a follow-up measurement after 6 months of rehabilitation. The therapists rated the performance of children in school-related physical tasks at baseline and after intervention. RESULTSInternal consistency for the MABC-2 Test was a = 0.90. Test-retest reliability for the total score was excellent, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.97. A small to medium magnitude of treatment effect was captured by the MABC-2 Test. The minimal detectable change (MDC) was 0.28 points whereas the minimal important difference (MID) values were from 2.36 to 2.50. All subscales except balance showed acceptable validity in differentiating groups of children whose physical performance had improved or remained stable.INTERPRETATION The MABC-2 Test is a reliable and valid measure to assess motor competence in children with DCD. The MID and MDC scores provide the reference point for clinical decisionmaking in managing the individual child.Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is one of the most commonly reported disorders in school-age children, with prevalence rates of up to 6%. 1 A most recent UK population-based study found that 1.8% of 7-year-olds have DCD according to strict Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) criteria.2 These children form a heterogeneous group, differing in the extent of their motor difficulties and the extent to which they display other conditions such as attention deficits, speech ⁄ articulation difficulties, and non-verbal learning disabilities.3,4 Several studies have shown that children with DCD are at greater risk of developing secondary impairments (e.g. decreased strength and lack of fitness) owing to their limited participation in physical activity. 5,6 Furthermore, in the absence of intervention, many of the these abnormalities persist into adulthood and might continue to interfere with performance in various aspects of community functioning. As a result, early identification and therapeutic intervention is particularly important to enhance motor function and promote success in school and daily living in children with DCD. To monitor the effectiveness of an intervention, it is crucial to use reliable and sensitive measures that are able to yield consistent results across repeated measurements and detect subtle changes in motor function.The Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC) 7 is one of the most widely used measures for identifying impairments in motor performance of children and has been translated into several major European and Asian languages, such as Italian, Chinese, and Japanese. [8][9][10] The second edition 11 is an updated version of the original MABC and differs from the first in several respects, including age extension, reduction of age bands from four to three, item revision and addition o...

This study investigated the effectiveness of a 20-week Simulated Developmental Horse-Riding Program (SDHRP) by using an innovative exercise equipment (Joba®) on the motor proficiency and sensory integrative functions in 60 children with autism (age: 6 years, 5 months to 8 years, 9 months). In the first phase of 20 weeks, 30 children received the SDHRP in addition to their regular occupational therapy while another 30 children received regular occupational therapy only. The arrangement was reversed in the second phase of another 20 weeks. Children with autism in this study showed improved motor proficiency and sensory integrative functions after 20-week SDHRP (p < .01). In addition, the therapeutic effect appeared to be sustained for at least 24 weeks (6 months).

Sensorimotor dysfunctions were found to be very frequent in children with mild ID. Early identification of sensorimotor impairments is essential to prompt early intervention and facilitate better integration into regular school settings.

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The MDFRS is a reliable and valid disease-specific measure of functional status for patients with muscular dystrophy.

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