Psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ-Italian).
The DCDQ-Italian is a reliable, no-cost parent screen that flags motor coordination problems in 5- to 12-year-old Italian children.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Barrett et al. (2015) translated the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire into Italian. They then checked if the new DCDQ-Italian gave steady answers when parents filled it out twice.
The team also set age-based cut-off scores for kids aged 5 to 12 years. These cut-offs tell clinicians when a child's motor skills look delayed.
What they found
The questionnaire held together well. Internal consistency was good and test-retest scores stayed stable.
Age-specific cut-offs worked. Clinicians can now use one form for 5-7 year-olds and another for 8-12 year-olds to spot motor problems early.
How this fits with other research
Efstratopoulou et al. (2023) did the same job in Arabic. They validated the Motor Behaviour Checklist for UAE grades 1-6. Both studies give teachers and parents a quick motor screen in their own language.
Kambas et al. (2014) built the DEMOST-PRE for preschoolers. Their tool also shows a clear factor structure, but it targets 3-5 year-olds while the DCDQ-Italian starts at age 5. Together they cover the whole early-childhood span.
Bart et al. (2010) created the Performance Skills Questionnaire for preschoolers with mild delays. Like the DCDQ-Italian, it is parent-report and shows solid reliability. The difference is domain: PSQ looks at daily living skills while DCDQ sticks to motor coordination.
Why it matters
If you work with Italian-speaking children, you now have a free, validated screen for developmental coordination disorder. Hand the DCDQ-Italian to parents, score it in five minutes, and use the age cut-offs to decide who needs a full motor evaluation. No extra tools to buy, no language barrier to fight.
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Join Free →Print the DCDQ-Italian, give it to the parent of any 5-12-year-old you suspect has motor delays, and compare their score to the new age cut-offs.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
A valid tool that contributes to the diagnosis of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is represented by the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire 2007 (DCDQ'07). Recently we developed the Italian version of DCDQ (DCDQ-Italian). The aim of this study was to further analyze the psychometric properties in a sample of Italian school children aged 5-12 years and to establish cut-off scores with respect to age groups. A total of 698 parents completed the DCDQ-Italian and 45 of them repeated it after 2 weeks for test-retest reliability. One hundred and seventeen children were tested using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children. Confirmatory factor analysis supported this version to be consistent with the original. Cronbach's alpha for the total score was 0.89 and test-retest reliability was 0.88. Two-ways ANOVA for total and single subscales showed a significant main effect for age group only and not for gender. Sensitivity and specificity for our community based sample were 59% and 65% respectively, considering the cut-off scores for the 15th percentile of M-ABC and increasing when age groups were taken into account (ROC curve=0.62). The agreement with the original was good if 15th is considered. This is the first study on the psychometric property of DCDQ in a community sample of Italian children. The DCDQ-Italian could be used as a screening tool for motor coordination difficulties in Italian children. Slight differences in cut-offs should be considered when using this version.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2015 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2014.10.035