Internalising symptoms in Developmental Coordination Disorder: The indirect effect of everyday executive function.
Executive-function struggles partly explain why kids with DCD feel more anxious or sad.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Omer et al. (2021) asked 8- to young learners with and without DCD to take part.
Parents filled out three short forms: one on motor skills, one on everyday executive function, and one on anxiety and mood.
The team then used stats to see if EF troubles explain why DCD kids feel more anxious or sad.
What they found
Kids with DCD scored higher on both EF problems and internalising symptoms.
The stats showed that EF troubles carry part of the link between poor motor skills and mood issues.
In plain words, clumsy kids feel worse partly because daily EF tasks like planning and self-control are hard.
How this fits with other research
Myers et al. (2018) saw the same EF-to-mood path in kids with autism and typical kids.
Serif’s team now shows the same pattern in DCD, so the link seems true across diagnoses.
Engel-Yeger (2020) followed adults and found that childhood motor issues still hurt quality of life.
Together, the papers trace a line from kid EF problems to adult well-being.
Chen et al. (2013) once warned that memory gaps in DCD vanish when you control for language.
Serif’s study did not test language, so keep an eye on verbal IQ when you screen EF.
Why it matters
When you see a child with motor delays, add a quick parent EF checklist like the BRIEF-2.
If scores are low, weave EF supports into your plan. Simple aids like visual schedules or self-monitoring cards can cut anxiety and boost mood.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Individuals with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) report elevated executive function (EF) difficulties and internalising symptoms. Previous research suggests EF is important for wellbeing, yet no research has examined its role in internalising symptoms in DCD. AIMS: To explore an indirect relationship between DCD and internalising symptoms, through everyday EF difficulties. METHOD AND PROCEDURES: Thirty-two children with a DCD diagnosis and 51 typically-developing children (ages 8-15) participated. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to collect parent-reported EF and self-reported internalising symptoms. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Internalising symptoms and everyday EF difficulties were significantly higher in the DCD group. A bias-corrected, bootstrapped mediation analysis identified an indirect effect of everyday EF difficulties on the relationship between DCD diagnosis and internalising symptoms. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: This supports previous research indicating that individuals with DCD experience greater levels of internalising symptoms and EF difficulties than peers. It is the first to suggest an indirect effect of everyday EF difficulties in the pathway between DCD and internalising symptoms. This highlights hypotheses for future research into the role of EFs in understanding mental health in DCD. It suggests benefits from increased awareness, routine screening, and intervention for mental health and EF in people with poor motor skills.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2021 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103831