Children with (probable) DCD at the age of three years : a case-control study

Introduction. As Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is usually diagnosed at primary school age, understanding of the early development of these children is limited. Aim. To investigate the development of preschoolers with (probable) DCD. Participants. A total of 70 participants were included in the study (35 probable DCD and 35 controls). Children with (probable) DCD were recruited at the age of two to three years by the Center of Developmental Disabilities Ghent based on clinical judgment by the multidisciplinary team taking into account anamnesis, low motor score, and/or poor movement quality. Children in the control group had no known diagnoses possibly influencing motor development nor did they present a history of motor problems. Additionally, they were born term with normal birth weight and had no motor problems at three years (Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2 Percentile ≥25 and Little-DCD-Questionnaire raw score ≥55). Methodology. In this case-control follow-up study, children are tested at the age of 3, 4, and 5 years documenting motor development (M-ABC-2, Beery test of Visual Motor Integration 6, L-DCD-Q, and Motor Skill Checklist), behavior (Child Behavior Checklist and Teacher Report Form), participation (Young Children’s Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth), and Body Mass Index. Results. We will present results from the assessments at the age of three years. Preliminary analyses indicate significant differences regarding several outcome measures. Impact. The results of this study will provide insight in the development of children with probable DCD enhancing early diagnosis and support of the children and their families