The unmet clinical needs of children with developmental coordination disorder

Licari, Melissa K.; Alvares, Gail A.; Bernie, Charmaine; Elliott, Catherine; Evans, Kiah; McIntyre, Sarah; Pillar, Sarah; Reynolds, Jess E.; Reid, Sharon J.; Spittle, Alicia J; Whitehouse, Andrew J. O.; Zwicker, Jill G.; Williams, Jacqueline

doi:10.1038/s41390-021-01373-1

Cited by 13 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Even in high-income countries, medical professionals have little knowledge of DCD [ 15 ]. Obtaining a diagnosis and therapy is quite a challenge for children with DCD and their families [ 16 ]. In case a child suspected of DCD gets diagnosed, getting intervention may be hard and many children end up on a waitlist for quite some time.…”

Section: Developmental Coordination Disorder (Dcd) and Constraintsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pediatric care for children with developmental coordination disorder, can we do better?

Engelsman

Verbecque

2022

Biomedical Journal

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Section: Developmental Coordination Disorder (Dcd) and Constraintsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pediatric care for children with developmental coordination disorder, can we do better?

Engelsman

Verbecque

2022

Biomedical Journal

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“…In 2016, The Developmental Occupational Therapy Association of Western Australia [DOT (WA)] established a working group to develop DCD Clinical Practice Guidelines for Occupational Therapists in Western Australia, which were published in 2019 [DOT (WA), 2019]. Licari et al (2021) suggested that the development and distribution of DCD-specific resources through peak organisations have increased the knowledge of DCD among allied health and medical professionals in Canada, where Karkling et al (2017) found that all occupational therapists were familiar with DCD but only 64% were familiar with the processes for identification. In the Australian setting, further research is required to determine all of the barriers and facilitators to identifying DCD.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous studies suggest that clinical experience with a paediatric caseload develops therapists' clinical reasoning and decision‐making which, in part, stems from the ability to recognise similarities in children's clinical presentation (Moir, 2022), a key skill in identifying specific disorders. Targeted DCD education may improve therapists' confidence in identifying this disorder, which is crucial given that parents of Australian children with significant, persistent motor deficits report long diagnostic pathways and delayed opportunities for effective interventions for their children (Licari et al, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing children to identify developmental coordination disorder: A survey of occupational therapists in Australia

Hunt

Zwicker

Godecke

et al. 2023

Aus Occup Therapy J

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Background Developmental coordination disorder (DCD), a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder with motor and psychosocial consequences, can significantly impact children's quality of life. In Australia, most children with diagnosed/suspected DCD have received occupational therapy services, more so than any other health service. As such, occupational therapists are key in identification and treatment and require a sound knowledge of diagnostic criteria and the best evidence for practice. This study explored current occupational therapy services for children with DCD. Areas for development are identified to improve the identification of, and subsequent intervention for, children with DCD. Methods In this cross‐sectional study, an online survey was completed in September and October 2020 by 175 occupational therapists working in Australia. Results Although all therapists worked with children who met the criteria for DCD diagnosis, 70% worked with children with no specific diagnosis and 50% worked with children with outdated diagnostic labels. Australian occupational therapists used similar models/frameworks (commonly a multisensory/sensory processing approach) to guide practice with children with DCD, regardless of therapist characteristics, practice setting (clinic/community, rural/urban), how therapy is funded, or the state where the therapists completed their training/currently practiced. Although assessment practices did not differ significantly, therapists with greater years of paediatric practice and those who studied and/or practiced in Western Australia were more likely to assess to identify DCD. Half of the therapists did not assess to identify DCD; however, 60% of assessing therapists reported best practice methods in assessment for DCD, indicating emerging best practices in the Australian context. Conclusion The findings from this study suggest that small adaptations to current occupational therapy practice may enhance the early identification of children with DCD in Australia. The existing gaps in evidence to practice must be addressed to improve current Australian practice and increase access to appropriate services and ultimately improve the quality of life for children with DCD.

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“…Families who are diagnosed with a DCD child, experience significant difficulties. In a recent study, Licari and colleagues proved that many families receive a diagnosis only after years [ 68 ]. In addition, since a very high percentage of families undertake a therapeutic pathway for motor difficulties, families often experience a case-by-case variable economic stress.…”

Section: Emotional Disordersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developmental Coordination Disorder and Most Prevalent Comorbidities: A Narrative Review

Lino

Chieffo

2022

Children

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This narrative review describes, in detail, the relationships between Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) and most prevalent associated comorbidities in their complexity, heterogeneity and multifactoriality. The research has been conducted on the main scientific databases, excluding single case papers. Blurred borders between the different nosographic entities have been described and advances in this field have been highlighted. In this multifaceted framework a specific profiling for co-occurring DCD, ADHD and ASD signs and symptoms is proposed, confirming the need for a multidisciplinary approach to define new diagnostic paradigms in early childhood.

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The unmet clinical needs of children with developmental coordination disorder

Cited by 13 publications

References 27 publications

Pediatric care for children with developmental coordination disorder, can we do better?

Pediatric care for children with developmental coordination disorder, can we do better?

Assessing children to identify developmental coordination disorder: A survey of occupational therapists in Australia

Developmental Coordination Disorder and Most Prevalent Comorbidities: A Narrative Review

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