Can gymnastic teacher predict leisure activity preference among children with developmental coordination disorders (DCD)?

Researchers asked 40 gym teachers to rate the sport likes of the kids. Half the kids had DCD, half were typical peers.

Teachers used a 10-item form called TEAF. It asks how much a child enjoys running, ball games, swimming, and so on.

TEAF scores almost perfectly matched the kids' own answers. High scores pointed to kids who later picked the same activities at free-play time.

The tool also told the two groups apart: children with DCD scored lower on every item.

Barton et al. (2019) looked at the same DCD group and found lower strength, fitness, and parent support. Together the papers say: kids avoid sport both because they like it less (Batya 2012) and because their bodies and homes give less help (E 2019).

Engel-Yeger (2020) followed the idea into adulthood. Adults with suspected DCD recall liking sport as kids and now report worse quality of life. The 2012 TEAF gives the early warning; the 2020 paper shows why it matters years later.

Omer et al. (2021) add another layer: DCD often brings everyday executive-function mess-ups, which feed anxiety. Knowing a child's sport likes (2012) helps you pick an activity that feels safe and fun, lowering that anxiety path shown in 2021.

You can finish the TEAF in three minutes with any PE teacher. Use the score to build a leisure list the child actually wants. When kids enjoy the activity they stick with it, cutting the downward spiral of poor fitness, low motivation, and later mental-health risk shown in follow-up studies.