Functional performance of children with developmental coordination disorder at home and at school

Abstract

This study investigated the functional performance of daily activities at home and at school in a population-based sample of children with different degrees of motor coordination impairment and competence. Sixteen children (seven males, nine females; mean age 8 y, SD 9 mo) with developmental coordination disorder (DCD), 25 with suspected DCD ([sDCD] 17 males, eight females; mean age 7 y 6 mo, SD 8 mo), and 63 children without motor problems (39 males, 24 females; mean age 7 y 9 mo, SD 7 mo) were recruited from public schools (Grades 1-3, age 6 y 4 mo-9 y 10 mo) using the Chinese version of the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire, the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, and the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency. Functional performance was assessed using the Chinese versions of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales and the School Function Assessment-Chinese version. The functional performance of children with DCD and sDCD was statistically significantly lower than those without DCD (p's<0.05). chi(2) and logistic regression analyses showed significant differences among all groups in the proportion of children scoring at the 'inadequate' adaptive level of home performance (p's<0.05). There were also significant differences among the groups in the proportion of children scoring below the cut-off in school performance (p's<0.05). The findings show the pervasive impact of DCD on children's functional performance in daily activities at home and at school.

Using the ICF Framework to Explore the Multiple Interacting Factors Associated with Developmental Coordination Disorder

“…Alternatively, depending on the support and attitudes of parents and immediate family members, the manifestation of functional problems may not be evident in the home situation if children are not challenged enough to do things for themselves. In a study by Wang (2009) no significant correlation was found between functional performance at home and at school in children with motor coordination problems [104].…”

Effectiveness of a Summer Camp Intervention for Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder

“…such as handwriting, dressing, tying shoelaces, using utensils, throwing and/or catching a ball, and participating in sports or other physical activities (American Psychiatric Association, 2000;Magalhães et al, 2011;Wang et al, 2009;Zwicker et al, 2012). Evidence has shown that compared to typically developing children, children with DCD have lower participation in moderate to vigorous physical activity and instead prefer to spend their energy on low intensity physical activity Jarus et al, 2011;Poulsen et al, 2008).…”

Handwriting speed in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder: Are they really slower?

“…At home, difficulties with dressing can manifest in tasks such as manipulating buttons and zips, where fine motor manipulation and organisational skills are required (Roger et al, 2003). Within the school environment, these difficulties transfer into a range of school activities (Wang et al, 2009), in particular, handwriting, which is significantly impacted (Miller et al, 2001). Handwriting difficulties are mentioned in the formal diagnostic criteria for DCD (APA, 2000), are frequently mentioned in parent and teacher reports and are the most common reason for referral to occupational therapy for this population (Asher, 2006).…”