Sensory processing difficulties (SPD) and their relation to motor performance and to child's perceived competence among children with developmental coordination disorders Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com Literature reviewDevelopmental coordination disorders (DCD) affect approximately 6% of school aged children and significantly impair their activities of daily living and their academic performance. These impairments are not explicable by age, IQ or neurological condition.1,2 Some studies suggest that deficits in motor coordination among children with DCD could be related to sensory processing difficulties (SPD) affecting their motor acuity and their perceptual processes. 3,4The phenomenon of SPD is known to be prevalent among 5-15% of the population.5 SPD represent the inability of the central nervous system to modulate the degree, intensity, and nature of responses to sensory input. Thus, SPD may result in sensory hyper or hypo sensitivity.6 Individuals with hypersensitivity have low neurological threshold to sensation and thus respond to sensation faster, with more intensity for a longer duration. 7 They may experience non aversive stimuli as painful and thus express aggressive behaviours, withdrawal, irritability, moodiness, and poor socialization. On the other hand, individuals with sensory hyposensitivity have high neurological threshold to sensation and thus experience difficulties in detecting incoming sensory information. They are described as unmotivated or self-absorbed. Some people with hyposensitivity counter act to their high neurological threshold and actively seek for rich sensory stimuli -they enjoy rich sensory environment and actively initiate behaviours that create sensations. 8Studies that focused on SPD among children with DCD referred to specific modalities -mainly to the visual and to the vestibular sensations. Wilson & McKenzie 9 highlighted that visual-spatial processing; kinaesthetic perception and cross-modal integration in DCD may be impaired and affect children's movement performance. Indeed, visual-spatial processing and visual-kinesthetic integration which are prerequisites for motor control and stability are impaired AbstractObjective: Movement is dependent on sensory input. Both Developmental Coordination Disorders (DCD) and sensory processing difficulties (SPD) may reduce child's self-competence and daily function. However, the knowledge about SPD among children with DCD and their relation to their motor performance and selfcompetence is scarce. This study aimed to (1) compare sensory processing abilities and self competence between children with DCD and typical controls (2) examine the relationship between SPD, DCD severity and child's perceived competence among children with DCD. Methods:The study included 90 children aged 4-10 years: 32 children with DCD and 58 typical controls. All children performed the Movement Assessment Battery for children (M-ABC). Those who scored lower than the 15% on the M-ABC were included in the study group. The parents of all child...