The development and standardization of the Adult Developmental Co-ordination Disorders/Dyspraxia Checklist (ADC).
The ADC gives BCBAs a fast paper tool to spot undiagnosed DCD in adults so they can link clients to supports and exercise programs that work.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team built the first adult checklist for Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD).
They call it the ADC. It is a short paper form that asks about everyday clumsy moments.
Adults fill it out themselves. No timers or special gear are needed.
What they found
The paper only tells how the ADC was made. It does not give pass-fail scores or success rates.
The authors say the checklist is ready for college disability offices to try.
How this fits with other research
Coleman et al. (2015) looked at five motor tests for young adults. They found BOT-2 is best for showing motor skill problems, but none of the tools fully meet adult DCD rules. The ADC tries to fill that gap by asking about real-life clumsiness instead of gym tasks.
Kumar et al. (2025) pooled quality-of-life data on children with DCD. Parents saw bigger social and school problems than the kids reported. The ADC could help spot these hidden life impacts in adults before they drop out of college or work.
Peng et al. (2026) showed that exercise programs give large motor gains for kids with DCD. If the ADC flags an adult, you now know movement training still works past childhood, so you can write an exercise referral.
Why it matters
You now have a one-page screener that takes two minutes. Use it during intake with any adult who says, "I’ve always been clumsy." A quick score can justify further testing, campus accommodations, or a doctor visit. No stopwatch, no mats, no kit—just the form and a pen.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD), also known as Dyspraxia in the United Kingdom (U.K.), is a developmental disorder affecting motor co-ordination. In the past this was regarded as a childhood disorder, however there is increasing evidence that a significant number of children will continue to have persistent difficulties into adulthood. Despite this, there remains little information as to how the difficulties might present at this stage, and additionally the impact on every day functioning. As young people move into further and higher education there is a need for screening and assessment tools. Such tools allow for identification of these difficulties, access to support, and clarification of areas where appropriate support needs to be targeted. This paper describes the first adult screening tool for DCD. The development and the results from testing this tool in two countries, Israel and the U.K. are outlined and the implications for its use in further and higher education discussed.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2010 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2009.08.010