A comparison of using the DSM-5 and MABC-2 for estimating the developmental coordination disorder prevalence in Korean children.
DSM-5 and MABC-2 give the same DCD prevalence in Korean fifth-graders, so pick either tool and move on to participation planning.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Lee et al. (2019) asked a simple question: do two common DCD checklists give the same count of kids? They tested every fifth-grade child in ten Korean schools. Each child completed the MABC-2 movement battery. Teachers and parents also filled in the DSM-5 checklist. The team then compared how many children each tool flagged.
What they found
The two tools gave almost the same answer. DSM-5 labeled 10.94% of the children as likely having DCD. MABC-2 labeled 12.77%. The gap was tiny and not significant. Either tool will catch roughly the same group.
How this fits with other research
Adams et al. (2024) extend these numbers into real life. Their Australian survey shows that the 10–13% the Korean study found are the same kids who struggle daily. Over 70% of families report participation problems across home, school, and community. Amore et al. (2011) add that poor motor skills and extra weight each shrink the variety of after-school activities these children join.
Jasmin et al. (2018) give the kids a voice. Interviews reveal that parents want more training, but many children say they do not want extra help. The Korean prevalence data now make sense: the 1 in 10 children they counted are the ones families describe as hard to support.
Matthews et al. (2022) seem to disagree at first. Their Belgian preschool screener had weak sensitivity, so it missed many cases. The Korean study, however, worked with older children and used full diagnostic criteria, not a short parent quiz. The apparent contradiction vanishes when you see the age and tool differences.
Why it matters
You can use either DSM-5 criteria or MABC-2 cut-offs without fear of under- or over-counting. Once a child is flagged, remember the Australian data: plan for participation gaps across settings, not just motor skill drills. Ask the child what help they actually want; parents and kids often disagree. Share the Korean numbers with teachers to show that roughly one child per classroom needs support, whether or not they already have a diagnosis.
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Join Free →Pick one DCD checklist you already have—DSM-5 or MABC-2—and screen one fifth-grade class; use the results to start a conversation about participation supports, not just therapy minutes.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Previous literature has shown inconsistency in the prevalence of developmental coordination disorder (DCD). The Movement Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition (MABC-2) is often used for DCD prevalence studies, although the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) recommends four criteria. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of DCD in Korean children using the DSM-5 and MABC-2. METHODS: A total of 548 Korean elementary school students (mean age: 8.5 years ± 4.5 months) completed this study procedure. All four criteria defined by the DSM-5 were used to classify children with DCD. MABC-2 test scores were used to classify students into four subgroups: high-risk DCD, mild-risk DCD, probable DCD and typical development. RESULTS: Cohen's kappa revealed that the estimates of DCD prevalence were not significantly different between MABC-2 and DSM-5. When DSM-5 criteria were applied, 60 children out of 548 were classified as probable DCD (10.94%) compared to 70 children with probable DCD (12.77%) when MABC-2 was used. CONCLUSIONS: DCD prevalence based on DSM-5 is not significantly different from MABC-2, though it tends to estimate less than MABC-2. Future studies should consider our findings when selecting an assessment tool.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2019 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2019.103459