Aggressive interactions during free-play at preschool of children with and without developmental coordination disorder.

Researchers watched preschoolers during free-play time. They compared kids with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) to kids without it. They counted how often each child was the aggressor or the victim.

Kids with DCD were both the starter and the target of aggression more often. The same child could hit one minute and get pushed the next. Play time looked riskier for them than for typical peers.

Boudreau et al. (2015) saw the same DCD preschool group and also found trouble—those kids felt worse during play, not just more aggressive. The 2013 aggression data and the 2015 well-being data line up: play time is rough for these children.

Dolev et al. (2023) looked at preschoolers with broader developmental delay. They found that when teachers stay hands-off during one-on-one play, kids make gains. Their positive result seems to clash with Fahmie et al. (2013), who saw only problems. The difference is teacher style: Smadar’s teachers gave quiet support, while A et al. watched pure free-for-all free-play.

Kent et al. (2020) trained peers to play better with autistic classmates. Their peer-mediated approach improved play for the helpers, showing peers can be part of the fix. Fahmie et al. (2013) only measured what goes wrong; Cally et al. show what could go right if we coach the peer group.

If you work with preschoolers who trip, drop things, or look clumsy, watch their play closely. These kids are magnets for aggression. Add structure, teach entry lines, or bring in a peer buddy. A calmer play zone can cut both the hitting they give and the hitting they get.