Perceived athletic competence and physical activity in children with developmental coordination disorder who are clinically referred, and control children.
Kids with DCD skip free-play and their sport-confidence ranges from high to nil—check both before you plan motor programs.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team compared kids with developmental coordination disorder to same-age peers. They asked how often each child played sports or games on their own. They also asked each child, "How good are you at sports?"
The study used questionnaires, not wrist trackers. Kids and parents filled out ratings of confidence and free-time activity.
What they found
Children with DCD joined unorganized play far less than controls. Inside the DCD group, confidence in athletic skill varied a lot. Some felt okay, others felt hopeless.
Low confidence did not always match low activity. A few unsure kids still played, while some confident ones sat out.
How this fits with other research
Bowen et al. (2012) showed the same DCD group also had delayed bone age, partly because they moved less. McGonigle et al. (2014) now tells us the missing link: free-play is the main gap.
Baerg et al. (2011) looked at boys and girls with DCD plus ADHD. They used accelerometers and found girls moved more, boys moved less. McGonigle et al. (2014) did not split by sex or ADHD, so the two studies seem to clash. The gap is method: Sally counted every step; J asked about pick-up games.
Redondo-Tébar et al. (2021) and Chezan et al. (2019) later showed these same kids report lower quality of life. McGonigle et al. (2014) helps explain why: less play and shaky sport confidence feed into poorer well-being.
Why it matters
Before you write a gross-motor goal, ask the child, "Do you think you're good at sports?" A quick confidence rating predicts who will actually show up for recess soccer or weekend bike rides. If confidence is low, start with tiny, success-heavy games, not full-team sports. Pair this with parent education: free-play matters for bones, mood, and peer ties. Treat perceived athletic competence as a vital sign in DCD.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Add one question to your intake: "On a 1-5 scale, how good are you at sports?" Use the answer to set realistic play goals.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
The relationship between perceived athletic competence (PAC) and physical activity (PA) in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is still unclear. This study investigated differences in PAC and PA between, and within, a group of children with DCD that were clinically referred (n = 31) and a group of control children (n = 38), aged 7-12 years. All children were categorized in four groups: (1) children with DCD/low PAC, (2) children with DCD/normal to high PAC, (3) control children/low PAC, and (4) control children/normal to high PAC. PAC was assessed with the Self-Perception Profile for Children, and PA was assessed with the Modifiable Activity Questionnaire. Children with DCD participated less in unorganized PA, but not in organized PA, compared with control children. Normal to high PAC was found in more than half of the children (64.5%) with DCD. Children with DCD/low PAC and children with DCD/normal to high PAC participated significantly less in unorganized physical activity compared with control children/normal to high PAC, but not compared with control children/low PAC. The results indicate that there are large individual differences in PAC in children with DCD.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2014 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2014.09.005