Behavioral comparisons in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Developmental Coordination Disorder: A systematic literature review.
Autism and DCD are separate; always screen for DCD when an autistic child shows motor trouble.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team looked at 11 studies that compared kids with autism to kids with Developmental Coordination Disorder.
They wanted to see if the two groups act the same or act differently.
They focused on everyday behaviors, not just test scores.
What they found
Kids with autism and kids with DCD looked more different than alike.
Each group had its own clear pattern of strengths and struggles.
This means the two labels point to two separate conditions, not one big mix.
How this fits with other research
Fusar-Poli et al. (2017) showed that children with DCD alone are extra hyperactive.
Tal-Saban et al. (2021) found that adding DCD to Global Developmental Delay makes social skills even worse.
These newer studies line up with Caçola et al. (2017): DCD brings its own baggage beyond autism.
Boets et al. (2011) and Yu et al. (2021) add that DCD kids join in less and move less, again showing a unique profile.
Why it matters
If a child with autism seems clumsy, do not assume it is just part of autism.
Run a quick DCD checklist. If the score is high, add motor goals to the behavior plan.
This small step can stop one label from hiding another treatable problem.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) are developmental disorders that, since the DSM-5, can be diagnosed as co-occurring conditions. While some recent studies suggest that ASD and DCD have similar traits, others show clear behavioral distinctions between the two conditions. By gathering all studies that included (1) an ASD group and a DCD group, (2) an ASD+DCD group and a DCD group, or (3) ASD, ASD+DCD, and DCD groups, we aimed to identify similarities and differences in behaviors between the two disorders. METHOD: We used a systematic search of PubMed (1946 -), Scopus (1970 -), PsycINFO (via EBSCO, 1600 -), CINAHL (via EBSCO, 1937 -), SportDiscus (via EBSCO, 1985 -), and WorldCat (via FirstSearch) in addition to reference list and author name searching PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, CINAHL, SportDiscus, and WorldCat to identify original studies that met the following criteria: (1) an ASD group and a DCD group, (2) an ASD+DCD group and a DCD group, or (3) ASD, ASD+DCD, and DCD groups. RESULTS: From the 1,598 articles screened, 11 were included in the qualitative analysis. The articles included reported more differences than similarities in individuals with ASD and DCD, with clear distinctions for working memory ability, gestural performance, grip selection, and cortical thickness. Only two studies reported similarities in face processing abilities and perceived competence, and the interventional studies showed group similarities in behavior improvement, such as intelligence and attention. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the articles reviewed, we conclude that while DCD and ASD share some behavioral symptoms, the symptom profiles of each disorder are unique and separable. We recommend that the evaluation of potential DCD in individuals with ASD be performed systematically and thoroughly, so as to distinguish this co-occurring condition from sensorimotor symptoms associated with ASD.
Research in autism spectrum disorders, 2017 · doi:10.1007/s00787-006-0586-8