Motor and cognitive performance differences between children with and without developmental coordination disorder (DCD).
Preschoolers with DCD lag in both motor and thinking skills, so test both early.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Asonitou et al. (2012) compared preschoolers with and without Developmental Coordination Disorder.
They gave every child the same motor tests and PASS-based thinking tasks.
The team wanted to see if the DCD group scored lower on both body and brain measures.
What they found
Kids with DCD scored lower on every test.
Lower motor scores went hand-in-hand with lower thinking scores.
The gap was large enough to show up on basic preschool tasks.
How this fits with other research
Krajenbrink et al. (2023) later tested older kids with DCD under a harder two-task load.
Surprise: the older kids kept up with peers on performance, but said the tasks felt harder.
The studies seem to clash, yet age and task load explain the gap. Preschoolers show raw deficits; school-age kids can compensate but tire faster.
Debrabant et al. (2013) added brain scans and found weaker timing circuits in DCD, backing the early motor-cognitive link Katerina saw.
Why it matters
If a preschool client trips and also struggles with simple matching or memory games, test both areas.
Use quick PASS-style tasks right after motor drills.
Pairing the scores gives you a fuller picture and helps you set joint goals that build bodies and brains together.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The current study adopts the PASS theory of information processing to investigate the probable differences in specific motor and cognitive abilities between children with and without developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Participants were 108 5- and 6-year-old preschoolers (54 children with DCD and 54 children without DCD). The Movement Assessment Battery for Children assessed motor function. Running speed and agility were measured using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency. Finally, the Planning, Attention and Simultaneous Scales from the Das-Naglieri Cognitive Assessment System evaluated cognitive ability. Children with DCD differed significantly from those without DCD performing at a lower level on all motor and cognitive tasks. A correlation analysis revealed significant relationships between cognitive processes and motor skills. Simultaneous cognitive processing and manual dexterity were significantly correlated for both groups. Furthermore, a significant relationship was revealed between planning cognitive processing and balance for the non-DCD group. Thus, early assessment might identify specific cognitive-motor difficulties. Furthermore, early intervention might prevent some of the developmental comorbidities in the academic and everyday lives of children with movement difficulties.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2012 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2012.01.008