Developmental coordination disorder and other motor control problems in girls with autism spectrum disorder and/or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Girls with autism or ADHD often have hidden motor disorders that drag down everyday independence.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team studied 100 girls . Half had autism, half had ADHD, and some had both.
Each girl took the same motor test used for developmental coordination disorder (DCD).
They also completed daily-living skill checklists while the researchers held IQ steady.
What they found
One in four girls with autism also met full criteria for DCD.
One in three girls with ADHD did too.
Even after matching for IQ, these girls scored far lower on dressing, eating, and hygiene tasks.
How this fits with other research
Capio et al. (2013) extends the story: the worse the motor score, the steeper the drop in handwriting, reading, and social skills.
Fenollar-Cortés et al. (2017) zooms in on ADHD and shows that inattention—not hyperactivity—drives fine-motor errors.
Kanevski et al. (2023) adds that ADHD plus DCD hurts visuospatial working memory yet math scores stay flat, hinting kids find new ways to learn.
Dionne et al. (2024) confirms the academic hit: kids with DCD alone already lag 0.59 standard deviations in math.
Why it matters
If you serve girls with autism or ADHD, screen for DCD with a quick motor test. When motor issues show up, fold OT goals into the behavior plan and watch daily-living skills rise.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Add the Movement ABC-2 or similar five-minute motor screen to your intake for every girl with ASD or ADHD.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Examine the rate, predictors, and effect on daily life skills of developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and other motor control difficulties in school age girls with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in preschool age girls with ASD referred to a neuropsychiatric clinic, and in a community sample of school age girls. The girls (131 in total) were examined with standardised test of motor function and parent interviews and questionnaires. The school girls were compared with 57 age-and IQ-matched girls from the community. DCD was diagnosed in 25% of clinic school girls with ASD, in 32% of those with ADHD, and in 80% of the clinic preschool girls with ASD. Parents reported more motor problems in the school age clinic group. Agreement between a brief motor screening test and a full comprehensive motor examination was moderate to good in the clinic group. Young age, autistic symptomatology, and low performance IQ predicted more motor coordination problems. Motor coordination problems were related to lower ability in daily life skills even when the effect of PIQ was controlled for. A large minority of school girls with ASD and/or ADHD, and a majority of preschool girls with ASD meet full diagnostic criteria for DCD. Their motor problems contribute to reduced activity in daily life even when the effects of IQ have been partialled out.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2010 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2009.09.017