Updated psychometric assessment of the original Little Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (LDCDQ).
The LDCDQ is a free, five-minute parent form that reliably spots Israeli preschoolers who need a full motor evaluation.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team re-checked the Little Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (LDCDQ).
They gave the free 15-item parent form to 110 Israeli preschoolers.
Half were typically developing. Half already had motor or other delays.
What they found
The LDCDQ scored 0.92 on internal consistency — that’s excellent.
It caught 8 out of the kids who truly had DCD (good sensitivity).
It also correctly cleared 6 out of the kids without DCD (moderate specificity).
How this fits with other research
Sun et al. (2011) did the same kind of check on the Preschooler Gross Motor Quality Scale. Both studies prove quick preschool motor screens can work.
Moss et al. (2009) showed that motor delays are common in older kids. Tanya’s work moves the search younger, catching problems before school starts.
Sawyer et al. (2014) found visual-motor gaps in Grade 2 writers. Using the LDCDQ at age 4 could flag these kids earlier and guide fuller visual-motor testing.
Why it matters
You now have a no-cost, parent-friendly screener that takes five minutes. Use it during intake to decide who needs a full motor evaluation. Early catch means early motor play groups, fewer handwriting battles later, and smoother transitions to kindergarten.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
AIM: The Little Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (LDCDQ) is a screening tool for identifying preschool children who may have Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), originally developed in the Hebrew language. This study updated the original LDCDQ's psychometric properties with an expanded sample size, and ascertained sensitivity, specificity and cutoff scores. METHOD: An observational cross-sectional study design with convenience and snowball sampling was employed. Israeli preschool children aged 36-59 months (n = 399; 48.48 + 6.73) were recruited to two groups (typically developing [TD] n = 269; 47.65 + 6.78; referred n = 130; 50.09 + 6.35). The LDCDQ and a demographic questionnaire were completed for all children. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition (MABC2) was administered to n = 77 children (n = 24 TD). Receiver operating curves (ROCs) were used to investigate sensitivity and specificity, and propose cutoff scores. RESULTS: Internal consistency was confirmed (total score: ɑ = 0.922). Study groups differed significantly (p < 0.001) on LDCDQ total and subscores. The MABC2 and LDCDQ total scores were moderately correlated (r = 0.51; p < 0.001) suggesting concurrent validity. Binary logistic regressions revealed that the LDCDQ total and all subscores significantly predicted study group placement. Sensitivity (95-100 %), specificity (65-69 %), and proposed cutoff scores were established using ROC. CONCLUSION: The LDCDQ is a valid, reliable and free-of-charge screening tool that can be used to identify preschool children showing early motor coordination difficulties, who may benefit from early motor development support, and who may ultimately need referral for DCD assessment.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2026 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2026.105206