Self-perceptions in children with probable developmental coordination disorder with and without overweight

Activities of daily living, self-efficacy and motor skill related fitness and the interrelation in children with moderate and severe Developmental Coordination Disorder

BACKGROUND

Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) are diagnosed based on poor motor skills that impact their daily activities. However, this may also lead to lower predilection and participation in physical activities and a higher risk to develop health problems.

OBJECTIVE

To determine motor skill related levels in children with moderate and severe DCD and compare that to typically developing children (TD). The study also aimed to determine the level of activities of daily living (ADL) as reported by their parent and self-efficacy as reported by the children. Lastly, the relation of motor skill related fitness, ADL, and self-efficacy has been examined.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study has compared TD children (n = 105) and children with DCD (n = 109; 45 moderate DCD and 64 severe DCD) from elementary schools in Tunisia between 7 and 10 years of age. The DCDDaily-Questionnaire and Children's Self-perceptions of Adequacy in and Predilection for Physical Activity Questionnaire have been used to determine ADL and adequacy towards physical activity, respectively. The PERF-FIT has been used to measure motor skill related fitness levels.

RESULTS

Large group differences (p = 0.001) were found for ADL and all domains of self-efficacy between TD and DCD children. However, ADL and self-efficacy were not different between moderate and severe DCD. Motor skill related fitness was significantly lower (p = 0.01) for children with DCD than TD children, and between children with moderate and severe DCD. The relation between self-efficacy and DCDDaily-Q was different in the two DCD groups. Slow motor learning was associated with lower perceived enjoyment in physical education in the moderate DCD group, and with lower perceived adequacy in physical education in the severe DCD group.

CONCLUSIONS

Children with DCD participate and enjoy physical activity less than their peers. This combination of lower participation, lower predilection to physical activity and lowered motor skill-related fitness is a concern for the present and future health status of children with DCD.

Cultural Adaptation of the MABC-2 Checklist as a Screening Tool for Developmental Coordination Disorder in Schools

The purpose of this study was to adapt the MABC-2 Checklist to Czech primary schools by examining of its content validity and feasibility. The content validity achieved the satisfactory level in the second round of panels of experts on child motor development. The evidence on feasibility was obtained from classroom teachers who described this tool as clear, objective and having logical structure and its administration as comprehensible and fast. The MABC-2 Checklist is applicable instrument for the Czech school environment, but its adaptation to various countries should consider the items representing the common motor skills in local children.

Therapists' Use of Instructions and Feedback in Motor Learning Interventions in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Video Observation Study

AIM

This qualitative study explored therapists' use of instructions and feedback when teaching motor tasks to children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) as a first step in developing practical recommendations.

METHODS

A conventional content analysis approach was used to analyze videotaped treatment sessions of physical therapists using a newly developed analysis plan. Inductive coding was used to code purposively selected video segments. The codes were sorted into categories to identify key themes. Analyses were performed independently by two researchers until data saturation was reached.

RESULTS

Ten video-taped sessions were analyzed and 61 segments were coded. Three key themes were identified: (1) therapists' intention with the instructions and feedback was to motivate or to provide information; (2) the preferred therapists' teaching style was either direct or indirect; and (3) parameters to shape specific instructions and feedback were the focus of attention, modality, information content, timing and frequency.

CONCLUSION

Therapists used numerous instructions and feedback with different information content, often shaped by multiple focuses and/or modalities to motivate children or to provide specific information about task performance. Although therapists adapted instructions and feedback to child and task, future research should explore how characteristics of child and task can guide therapists' clinical decision-making.

Ecological validity of the PERF-FIT: correlates of active play, motor performance and motor skill-related physical fitness

Background

Active games are important health enhancing physical activities in children with and without developmental disorders and will help children to develop fundamental motor skills, while inactivity exacerbates coordination difficulties and increases the risk of obesity. Regular engagement in active play promotes physical, social and cognitive development. It is therefore important to know if children have the capabilities for healthy behavior. Motor skills and muscular fitness are both important components to participate in play, sport and leisure. The Performance and Fitness (PERF-FIT) test battery integrates motor skills (running, jumping, hopping, catching, bouncing, throwing, balance) and muscular fitness (explosive power and muscular endurance) needed in many forms of active play.

Aim

To test the ecological validity of the PERF-FIT test battery; a field-based test integrating motor skill proficiency and muscular fitness.

Methods

Seventy-five children were assessed on the PERF-FIT, Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC)-2 and performance in 6 active games was scored. Of these children, 52 children scored in the normal range and 23 (or 30.3%) below the 16^th percentile of the MABC-2. Association between the outcomes of the two tests and the 6 games was calculated.

Results

High to moderate associations were found between game scores and PERF-FIT items; moderate to low associations between game scores and MABC-2 items. Principle axes factor analysis with oblique rotation revealed communalities between the explosive power and agility items of the PERF-FIT and the running and ball catching games but not between the games and the balance items.

Conclusions and implications

Scores on the PERF-FIT are significantly related to performance in active play. The tool is able to measure aspects of motor skills, muscle endurance and explosive power needed in children's active games and could be used as an additional tool to measure requirements for participation in everyday physical activity in children with and without developmental disorders.