Activities and participation in children with developmental coordination disorder: a systematic review.
Most DCD research ignores daily life—start checking handwriting, dressing, and play participation yourself.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Spanoudis et al. (2011) hunted every paper on kids with Developmental Coordination Disorder. They wanted to know how many studies actually check real-life skills like handwriting or playing tag.
They screened hundreds of articles. Only a handful looked at daily activities or school participation.
What they found
Just one in seven DCD papers measures everyday activity limits. The rest stop at motor tests.
Results were all over the map. No two studies used the same checklist, so you can't compare kids across clinics.
How this fits with other research
Boets et al. (2011) answered the call the same year. They showed preschoolers with DCD already join in less and enjoy activities less than peers.
Liberman et al. (2013) added the emotional piece. Poor process skills and low hope predicted even lower participation scores.
Araujo et al. (2021) ran a full trial using participation as an outcome. Their CO-OP therapy boosted motor skills but did not move participation scores. The gap the review spotted is still open.
Why it matters
If you assess only motor scores, you miss the part that matters to families: can the child write a birthday card or keep up in PE? Add a quick participation tool like the Children’s Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment. Track handwriting, dressing, and playground games every quarter. Share the graph with parents so goals stay rooted in real life, not clinic norms.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
PURPOSE: To systematically review all literature published in peer reviewed journals from January 1995 to July 2008 in order to summarize and describe the activity limitations and participation restrictions of children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). METHODS: Multiple databases were systematically searched for articles related to DCD; only descriptive, intervention or qualitative articles were retained. Articles were coded using the International Classification of Function, Disability and Health (ICF) and descriptions of the activity and participation issues of individuals with DCD were identified. RESULTS: Data analysis revealed that, from 371 articles that met inclusion criteria, only 44 (14.4%) presented any data related to activity or participation issues. Information was inconsistent and only 18 articles used published measurement tools. Most frequently cited issues were poor handwriting, difficulties playing ball games, getting dressed and participating in organized sports. CONCLUSION: Evidence concerning activity and participation issues for children with DCD is limited in both volume and scope. Improved understanding of participation and of activity limitations in children with DCD is essential for clarifying diagnostic criteria, guiding assessment, and making evidence-based decisions regarding intervention. Researchers working with this population should make every effort to measure and consistently report the impact of children's motor impairments on function.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2011 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2011.01.029