A systematic review of language and motor skills in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and developmental language disorder (DLD).
Motor and language delays share the same kids—always assess both.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Kisjes et al. (2025) pulled every paper that tested both movement and talking skills in kids with two labels: developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and developmental language disorder (DLD).
They read the studies side-by-side to see how often clumsy kids also struggle with words, and how often language-delayed kids also trip, drop, or write poorly.
What they found
Kids tagged DLD almost always show motor delays too. Kids tagged DCD show mixed language results—some talk fine, others do not.
The big message: the two disorders travel together far more than charts suggest, so check both areas every time.
How this fits with other research
Reindal et al. (2022) saw the same link in children sent for autism checks—85% had motor plus language issues—so the overlap is not limited to DCD/DLD clinics.
Fujiwara et al. (2025) catalogued tech tools for DCD and found most gadgets train big-body skills; Jelle’s review says fine-motor and language gaps are common, hinting current tech may miss half the problem.
Spanoudis et al. (2011) warned that everyday-life data in DCD are scarce; Jelle’s team adds language scores to the list of missing pieces, strengthening the call for broader tests.
Why it matters
If you serve any child with one diagnosis, screen the other domain right away. A kid who can’t catch may also have weak grammar; a child with short sentences may have shaky handwriting. Pairing motor and language goals in one plan could save months of separate referrals.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
AIM: To investigate: (a) language difficulties in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD), and (b) motor difficulties in children with developmental language disorder (DLD). METHOD: In this systematic review, PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Embase were searched to identify peer-reviewed studies. Two researchers independently identified, screened and evaluated the methodological quality of the included studies following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). For objective (a), we combined the terms: "developmental coordination disorder" AND "language skills" AND "children". For objective (b) we combined the terms: "developmental language disorder" AND "motor skills" AND "children". RESULTS: Ten studies on language skills in children with DCD and 34 studies on motor skills in children with DLD are included, most with relatively good methodological quality. The results for language comprehension and production in children with DCD are contradictory, but there is evidence that children with DCD have communication and phonological problems. Evidence for general motor problems in children with DLD is consistent. Studies report problems in balance, locomotor, and fine motor skills in children with DLD. Evidence for aiming and catching skills is inconsistent. INTERPRETATION: The findings of this systematic review highlight the co-occurrence of language impairments in children with DCD and motor impairments in children with DLD. Healthcare professionals involved in the assessment and diagnosis of children with DCD or DLD should be attentive to this co-occurrence. In doing so, children with DCD and DLD can receive optimal interventions to minimize problems in their daily life.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2025 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2025.104994