A staged approach for identifying children with developmental coordination disorder from the population.
A quick ADHD add-on to school motor screening finds kids with both coordination and attention problems who are otherwise missed.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Missiuna et al. (2011) ran a two-step school-wide screen for developmental coordination disorder (DCD).
First, teachers filled out a short motor checklist for every child. Kids who scored high then took an ADHD checklist.
The team wanted to see if adding the ADHD step would catch more children with both motor and attention problems.
What they found
Out of nearly 3,000 pupils, 68 were flagged with DCD. The extra ADHD form revealed that many of these children also had attention symptoms.
In short, the two-step method found comorbid cases that a motor-only screen would have missed.
How this fits with other research
Missiuna et al. (2014) later showed that the very DCD-plus-ADHD group identified here suffers the highest anxiety and depression scores. The 2011 screen spots them; the 2014 paper tells us they need mood checks too.
Rivilis et al. (2011) pooled 40 studies and found that children with DCD are less fit across the board. Use the two-stage screen first, then plan motor-fitness goals for the kids you flag.
Wahi et al. (2011) reported higher belly fat and blood pressure in children with probable DCD. The screening tool in Missiuna et al. (2011) can identify the same at-risk pupils early, before metabolic problems grow.
Why it matters
If you work in schools, add a brief ADHD checklist to any motor screen. It takes minutes and doubles the value of your data. Once you spot DCD-plus-ADHD, plan not only motor help but also mood, fitness, and health checks. Early names on your caseload mean earlier support and fewer surprises later.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The purpose of this study was to describe the motor, attention and intellectual characteristics of a population-based sample of children first screened for motor impairment and to discuss the recruitment and identification methods employed. A two stage cross-sectional, school-based survey was conducted to screen for children with motor coordination difficulties and to identify children with an existing diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder/attention deficit disorder (ADHD/ADD). The identified children, and a random sample of typically developing children, were assessed to confirm or rule out the presence of developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Six thousand four hundred and seventy five children were invited to participate; 2943 children, with parental consent, completed the initial screening process. Two hundred eighty four children with possible motor impairment were identified. The parents of 113 children consented to a full assessment. Sixty eight children of the 113 children met diagnostic criteria for DCD, and 26 also had ADHD. Twenty eight of the 55 children who screened in with a diagnosis of ADHD were subsequently found to have DCD. The total number of children with confirmed characteristics of DCD was reduced after application of DCD diagnostic criteria. This study differs from others with regard to the additional screening for children with ADHD/ADD. The second stage assessment notably increased the number of children identified with both ADHD and DCD.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2011 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2010.12.025