Executive function and attention in young adults with and without developmental coordination disorder--a comparative study.

Tal Saban et al. (2014) compared executive function and attention in young adults with and without developmental coordination disorder. They used standard lab tasks and checklists to see if DCD alone creates thinking problems, or if attention issues explain the gap.

The DCD group scored lower on every executive-function measure. Even after removing the effect of attention problems, the EF gap stayed large. Poor motor skills and poor self-control travel together into early adulthood.

Schertz et al. (2016) saw the same pattern in adults with dyslexia, showing EF-attention problems are not unique to DCD. Kelly et al. (2013) widened the lens: adults with DCD who lack jobs also report more depression, linking early EF findings to later life quality.

Hung et al. (2022) seems to disagree. They found that attention and fine-motor skill, not EF, best predict Chinese handwriting in kids with ADHD. The clash disappears when you note the tasks: handwriting stresses quick hand moves, while Miri’s EF battery stresses planning and memory. Different demands, different drivers.

Fang et al. (2024) give hope. A meta-analysis of 22 studies shows cognitively-engaging physical activity lifts EF in youth with ADHD. The same exercise format could be tried with DCD adults, since the underlying EF deficit looks similar.

When a young adult with DCD struggles to start or finish tasks, do not blame only clumsy hands. Screen and treat executive skills directly. Add brief planning prompts, visual schedules, or active games that tax both body and brain. These cheap tweaks may cut the cognitive load that often hides behind ‘motor disorder.’