Developmental coordination disorder in UK children aged 6–18 years: Estimating the cost

Abstract

Introduction Developmental coordination disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting motor ability, with an estimated prevalence of between 2% and 6% in school-aged children. It is associated with considerable psychosocial impact. However, the financial cost this poses to families and society has never been assessed. We aimed to estimate the direct, indirect and out-of-pocket costs associated with developmental coordination disorder in United Kingdom school-aged children in the 6 months prior to our survey. Method Parents/guardians answered an online questionnaire adapted from the Client Service Receipt Inventory. Results Mean direct healthcare costs were approximately £700 in the 6 months prior to the survey. Almost all children were in mainstream education, but many received additional support. Among children who received therapy, the average indirect cost was £574 in the 6 months prior to the survey. However, this did not include changes to employment made to accommodate caring for the child. Notably, respondents commented that they frequently struggled to access services for their children. Thus, these figures may be a marked underestimation of true need. Conclusion This study represents the first cost-of-illness study for developmental coordination disorder. It demonstrates that developmental coordination disorder incurs a significant cost to society but particularly to families. Improvements to diagnostic pathways and post-diagnosis service provision are much needed.

Predictors of Access to Early Support in Families of Children with Suspected or Diagnosed Developmental Disabilities in the United Kingdom

“…Policies and investments to reduce poverty have the potential to reduce perceived unmet need for early support. Disability increases the risk of poverty, both broadly and for developmental disabilities (Blackburn et al, 2010 ; Emerson, 2004 ; Emerson et al, 2010 ), related to direct and indirect costs associated with disability (e.g., paying for specialist equipment, out-of-pocket costs associated with service access, caregivers reducing employment due to caregiving responsibilities; Cleaton et al, 2020 ; Dillenburger et al, 2015 ). Furthermore, adverse outcomes (e.g., poorer health) are associated with increased economic disadvantage (Emerson & Hatton, 2007 ; Totsika et al, 2021 ).…”

Motor Competence Among Children in the United Kingdom and Ireland: An Expert Statement on Behalf of the International Motor Development Research Consortium

“…Researchers from the United Kingdom have contributed to international recommendations on the diagnosis, assessment, and intervention for this condition (Blank et al, 2019). This is particularly important as prevalence of DCD is between 2% and 6% of children aged 6-18 years in the United Kingdom (Cleaton et al, 2020) and 5% and 6% of the child population in the Republic of Ireland (National Council for Special Education, 2020). Research from the United Kingdom has described the difficulties experienced by children with DCD in areas of postural control, locomotion, and in object manipulation (Cleaton et al, 2020).…”

“…This is particularly important as prevalence of DCD is between 2% and 6% of children aged 6-18 years in the United Kingdom (Cleaton et al, 2020) and 5% and 6% of the child population in the Republic of Ireland (National Council for Special Education, 2020). Research from the United Kingdom has described the difficulties experienced by children with DCD in areas of postural control, locomotion, and in object manipulation (Cleaton et al, 2020). Comparative data on DCD from the Republic of Ireland are not available.…”

Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder Show Altered Visuomotor Control During Stair Negotiation Associated With Heightened State Anxiety

“…Children with DCD also adopt a safer walking strategy during treadmill walking (Deconinck et al, 2006) and display a reduced ability to control their momentum when crossing obstacles (Deconinck et al, 2010), both of which have been attributed to a deficit to dynamic balance control. Given that children with DCD are also less accurate when tasked with precise stepping actions (Parr et al, 2020), it is unsurprising that they trip and bump into things more frequently than their TD peers (Kirby et al, 2011;Cleaton et al, 2020).…”