Manual function outcome measures in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD): Systematic review.
Use Movement ABC-2 fine-motor, SOS, and DASH together to capture both capacity and real-world handwriting in kids with DCD.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Bieber et al. (2016) hunted for the best tests of fine-motor and handwriting skills in kids with Developmental Coordination Disorder.
They screened every paper they could find and kept only tools with solid proof of reliability and validity.
The team ended up with a short list that fits the ICF-CY framework, a map of body, activity, and participation levels.
What they found
Three tools rose to the top. Movement ABC-2 fine-motor subtest shows what the child CAN do.
SOS measures real-world handwriting speed for ages six and up.
DASH gives a quick handwriting sample for kids nine and older.
How this fits with other research
Venetsanou et al. (2011) warned that the older M-ABC Test lacks enough psychometric muscle to be called a gold standard.
Bieber et al. (2016) later says USE the Movement ABC-2 fine-motor part, an update that builds on the earlier caution.
Cheng et al. (2014) adds that low MABC-2 scores often ride along with visual-perception deficits, so pair your motor test with a vision check.
Why it matters
You now have a ready-made battery: start with Movement ABC-2 fine-motor for capacity, add SOS or DASH for handwriting performance, and screen vision if scores dip.
Pick the tool that matches the child’s age and your question instead of grabbing the nearest motor test.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study systematically reviewed the clinical and psychometric properties of manual function outcome measures for children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) aged 3-18 years. Three electronic databases were searched to identify manual function tools at the ICF-CY body function, activity and participation level used in children with DCD. Study selection and data extraction was conducted by two blind assessors according to the CanChild Outcome Measures Rating Form. Nineteen clinical tests (seven fine hand use tools and 12 handwriting measures), three naturalistic observations and six questionnaires were identified. The fine-motor subdomain of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-2 and the Functional Strength Measurement, with adequate reliability and validity properties, might be useful for manual function capacity assessment. The Systematic Detection of Writing Problems (SOS) and the Detailed Assessment of Speed of Handwriting (DASH) could be adopted for handwriting assessment, respectively from 6 and 9 years old. Naturalistic observations and questionnaires, whose psychometric properties have been investigated into limited extent, offer an assessment of the daily performances. This review shows that a combination of different tools is needed for a comprehensive assessment of manual function in children with DCD including the three levels of the ICF-CY. Further investigation of psychometric properties of those tools in children with DCD is warranted. Tests validated in other populations should be explored for their applicability for assessing manual function in children with DCD.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2016 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2016.03.009