Health-related quality of life of children with Developmental Coordination Disorder.
Kids with DCD feel life is worse than typical peers, and their parents feel it even more—treat the mood, not just the motor plan.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Chezan et al. (2019) asked kids with Developmental Coordination Disorder and their parents to fill out a quality-of-life survey.
They compared the answers to normal scores to see how big the gap was.
What they found
Both kids and parents said life quality was much lower than average.
Parents rated it even worse than the kids did themselves.
How this fits with other research
Redondo-Tébar et al. (2021) saw the same drop in preschoolers, so the problem starts early.
Caçola et al. (2018) used two different surveys and still got the same low scores, showing the result is solid.
Lee et al. (2024) widened the lens: the low quality of life rides along with heavy family stress, not just motor trouble.
Why it matters
If you treat a child with DCD, add questions about daily happiness and peer play to your intake.
Target motor skills, but also build confidence and give parents support—low quality of life can stall progress in any program.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Although Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is primarily a motor disorder, it can also impact emotional and psychosocial functioning of children with this condition. Evidence suggests that children with DCD experience lower quality of life than their peers, but few studies have explicitly examined the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of these children. AIMS: To: (1) describe HRQOL of children with DCD compared to typically-developing children; (2) compare HRQOL from the perspectives of children with DCD and their parents; and (3) explore predictors of HRQOL for children with DCD. METHODS: Data from the KidScreen-52 and Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire were collected from 50 children with DCD [Mean(SD) age: 9.8 (1.2) years] and their parents and compared to normative data. RESULTS: Children with DCD and their parents report significantly lower HRQOL compared to published norms. Caregivers have a significantly lower perception of their child's HRQOL than their child's self-report in many domains. Parents of children with DCD report that their children experience significantly more emotional and behavioral disturbances compared to norms. Poor motor function and attentional difficulties predict HRQOL. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: DCD appears to contribute to lower perceived HRQOL. Findings inform therapeutic targets for children with DCD, beyond motor skill intervention.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2019 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2018.05.012