Gait symmetry in individuals with and without Developmental Coordination Disorder.
A simple step-length ratio flags lifelong gait asymmetry in DCD and gives you a quick motor screen.
01Research in Context
What this study did
K et al. filmed 48 people walking on a lab treadmill. Half had Developmental Coordination Disorder. Half were neurotypical. Ages ranged from 7 to 29.
The team measured each step’s length and time. They divided left numbers by right numbers to get a symmetry score. A score of 1.0 is perfect. Higher numbers mean more lopsided walking.
What they found
Every age group with DCD had bigger side-to-side differences. Step-length ratios averaged 1.18. Controls stayed near 1.03.
Asymmetry shrank as kids got older, but even adults with DCD never reached typical symmetry. The gap stayed clear and measurable.
How this fits with other research
Osório et al. (2025) saw the same pattern in autistic toddlers. Both studies used lab gait mats and found uneven steps. The new work shows the problem lasts into adulthood for DCD.
Rivilis et al. (2012) tracked fitness, not gait, in a DCD cohort. Kids lost cardiovascular stamina faster than peers. Taken together, poor symmetry may help explain why they tire sooner.
Vitiello et al. (2016) tested teens with unilateral cerebral palsy after a short walk. Their balance worsened. K et al. did not tire subjects first, so the studies do not clash; they simply flag different moments when asymmetry matters.
Why it matters
You can spot DCD gait in under five minutes with a stopwatch and floor tape. Measure three left and three right steps, then divide. If the ratio tops 1.10, refer for motor support. Early numbers give you a baseline to watch change from therapy or growth.
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Lay down two strips of tape one meter apart, count steps, and calculate symmetry ratio for any client with clumsy movement.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Symmetry between the left and right side of the body during locomotion is key in a coordinated gait cycle and is also thought to be important in terms of efficiency. Although previous studies have identified aspects of the gait cycle which are atypical in children and adults with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), studies have not considered whether this could be explained by asymmetrical gait. METHOD AND PROCEDURE: The current study included 62 participants with and 62 without DCD (aged 7-34 years). Participants were asked to walk continuously for 1min up and down a walkway while movement was captured using an optical tracking system. Measures of step length and step time were taken for both the right and the left leg and symmetry ratios were calculated. RESULTS: The DCD group showed significantly higher symmetry ratios for both measures compared to the typically developing (TD) group, with approximately a third of DCD participants falling outside the normative range for symmetry. Furthermore, a relationship was found between movement variability and degree of asymmetry. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate an asymmetry in the gait of individuals with DCD which, despite improving with age, does not reach the same level as that shown by TD individuals.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2017 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2016.11.016