Age-related validity and reliability of the Dutch Little Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (LDCDQ-NL).
The LDCDQ-NL reliably spots DCD risk in Dutch 4- and 5-year-olds, but skip it for 3-year-olds.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Cantell et al. (2019) checked if the Dutch Little Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire works for preschoolers. Parents of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds filled out the 15-item form.
The team looked at reliability and validity for each age group.
What they found
The LDCDQ-NL is solid for 4- and 5-year-olds. It is not yet trustworthy for 3-year-olds.
Clinicians can feel safe using the cut-off scores with the older preschoolers.
How this fits with other research
Mammarella et al. (2022) ran the same questionnaire in Brazil and also found good numbers for 3–4-year-olds. The Dutch study says 3-year-olds fail, while the Brazilian study keeps them in. The gap is about method: the Dutch team tested validity against stricter motor tests, so they were pickier.
Leung et al. (2014) and Ellinoudis et al. (2011) both back up the MABC-2 for the same age band. The LDCDQ-NL gives a parent view; the MABC-2 gives a performance view. Using both paints a fuller picture.
Hirota et al. (2018) remind us that few preschool screeners have wide backing. The LDCDQ-NL now joins that short list for DCD risk.
Why it matters
If you screen Dutch preschoolers, give the LDCDQ-NL to parents of 4- and 5-year-olds and trust the results. Hold off on 3-year-olds until more data come in. Pair the questionnaire with a motor test like the MABC-2 to catch kids who might slip past a parent report alone. This one-page screener saves clinic time and flags coordination problems early, when motor interventions work best.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Early recognition of children at risk of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is important, but variability in motor development in preschool children affects the validity of instruments to reliably detect children at risk of DCD. AIMS: To investigate the age-related validity and reliability of the Dutch version of the Little Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (LDCDQ-NL). METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Two hundred and sixty 3- to 5-year old children were recruited in the Netherlands. Parents filled out the LDCDQ-NL and children were assessed with the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 Test (MABC-2 Test). Internal consistency of the LDCDQ-NL was determined by Cronbach's alpha. Construct validity was investigated using factor analysis. Concurrent validity was measured by calculating correlations between the LDCDQ-NL and MABC-2. Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) were calculated to assess discriminant validity. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Internal consistency of the LDCDQ-NL was 0.91. Factor analysis resulted in three factors (Fine motor skills, Locomotor skills, Ball skills). Correlation between the LDCDQ-NL and MABC-2 Test increased with increasing age. With a sensitivity of 80%, specificity increased with age. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The LDCDQ-NL is a reliable and valid screening instrument for 4- and 5-year old Dutch children; concurrent and discriminant validity are low for 3-year olds.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2019 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2018.02.010