Does the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 at 3 years of age predict developmental coordination disorder at 4.5 years of age in children born very preterm?
A normal MABC-2 score at age 3 confidently rules out later DCD in very preterm toddlers, but raised scores need a second look.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team gave the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2) to very preterm toddlers at age 3.
They waited until the same kids were 4.5 years old and checked who received a developmental coordination disorder (DCD) diagnosis.
Then they asked: how well did the 3-year MABC-2 scores predict the later DCD label?
What they found
A low MABC-2 score at 3 years was good at ruling out DCD risk.
The test caught 90 out of every 100 children who would later be diagnosed.
But it also flagged many children who never got the diagnosis, so positive scores need follow-up.
How this fits with other research
Kuang et al. (2025) used machine learning on BSID-III scores to spot very preterm infants at low autism risk.
Like Clarice et al., they found a high negative predictive value, showing these tools are best for clearing risk, not confirming it.
Rihtman et al. (2011) built the Little DCDQ for 3- to 4-year-olds and also pushed early preschool screening, giving you a parent-report option alongside the MABC-2.
Capio et al. (2013) warned that Bayley-III delay labels often flip between 8 and 20 months in preterm toddlers, so Clarice’s later MABC-2 window at 36 months looks more stable.
Why it matters
You can feel safe telling families a 3-year-old with a normal MABC-2 is unlikely to have DCD later.
Use the test as a quick screen during your toddler assessment battery, but pair low scores with re-test and parent tools like the Little DCDQ before you refer.
This saves worry, money, and therapy slots for the kids who really need them.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Very preterm children (VPT) are at high risk for developmental coordination disorder (DCD). The Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2) Test is commonly used to identify children with DCD, but little is known about the predictive validity of this assessment in this population. AIMS: The aims of this study were to determine if MABC-2 scores at 3 years can predict DCD at 4.5 years and if DCD can be reliably identified in VPT children at 3 years. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: In a retrospective sample of 165 VPT children, logistic regression was used to determine if the MABC-2 score at 3 years is predictive of DCD at 4.5 years. Cross-tabulations were used to determine the relationship between scores at 3 years and DCD at 4.5 years. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: MABC-2 scores at age 3 were a significant predictor (OR = 0.82, p = 0.001) of DCD diagnosis at 4.5 years. The MABC-2 has excellent sensitivity (90%), moderate specificity (69%), small to moderate positive predictive value (38%) and high negative predictive value (97%). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The MABC-2 is highly sensitive in identifying VPT children with DCD, but also has many false positives. MABC-2 scores can reliably predict VPT children who are not at risk of DCD.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2019 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2018.04.003