Trajectories of emotional and behavioral problems in school-age children with coordination difficulties and their relationships to ASD/ADHD traits.
Motor-clumsy kids with even mild ASD or ADHD traits are the ones whose emotional problems persist for years.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Mikami et al. (2023) followed school-age children who struggle with motor skills for four years.
They tracked each child’s emotional and behavioral problems every year.
Kids also rated for ASD and ADHD traits, not full diagnoses.
What they found
Four clear paths appeared.
Most kids stayed low in problems, but a small group stayed high.
Children with more ASD or ADHD traits were the ones who landed in the high, steady-problem path.
How this fits with other research
Fusar-Poli et al. (2017) first showed that kids with coordination disorder score worse on behavior checklists; Misaki now shows these problems can last years.
Rosello et al. (2022) pooled 34 studies and found ASD plus ADHD means bigger trouble; Misaki confirms this in a live four-year sample.
Dellapiazza et al. (2021) took a one-time snapshot of ASD+ADHD behaviors; Misaki’s longer view replaces that snapshot and shows who stays stuck.
Why it matters
If a child has clumsy movements and even mild ASD or ADHD signs, plan to watch behavior long term.
Add a quick ASD/ADHD trait checklist to your motor screening.
Catch the high-risk trajectory early and you can start self-regulation or social skills teaching before problems harden.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Although research has demonstrated associations between motor coordination difficulties and psychological problems in school-age children, including emotional and behavioral problems, longitudinal changes in these problems in children with motor coordination difficulties are not fully understood. AIMS: The current study aimed to identify patterns in the trajectory of emotional and behavioral problems in school-age children with motor coordination difficulties, and to elucidate the effect of co-existing neurodevelopmental traits on the occurrence and course of these problems. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Using the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire, 773 children were defined as cases with motor coordination difficulties and followed for 4 years, from 6 to 10 years of age. Emotional and behavioral problems were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire completed by children's parents or guardians. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: We identified four trajectory patterns of emotional and behavioral problems. Children with higher autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder traits were more likely to be assigned to poor prognostic trajectory patterns. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Our findings emphasize the importance of assessing emotional and behavioral problems and co-existing neurodevelopmental traits in children with motor coordination difficulties in early elementary school.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2023 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104394