Mental Health Difficulties in Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder

Abstract

Children with probable DCD had an increased risk of mental health difficulties that, in part, were mediated through associated developmental difficulties, low verbal IQ, poor self-esteem, and bullying. Prevention and treatment of mental health difficulties should be a key element of intervention for children with DCD.

Diagnosis and management of developmental coordination disorder

“…4 Children with developmental coordination disorder (with or without ADHD) have been found to be at increased risk of anxiety and depression. 19,20 In one study, children who had the disorder without ADHD reported depressive symptoms five times more often, and anxiety symptoms about one and a half times more often, than typical peers. 19 Other problems commonly associated with developmental coordination disorder are psychosocial difficulties, 21 overweight or obesity, 9,22 hypermobility of joints, 23 compromised physical A.…”

The crucial role of the predictability of motor response in visuomotor deficits in very preterm children at school age

“…1 This plays a key role in their exploration of the world, academic performance, sporting abilities, involvement in social activities, and self-efficacy. 2,3 In recent literature, visuomotor performance of very preterm children has been commonly described with the widely used Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration, 4 indicating widespread visuomotor integration deficits closely interrelated with poor motor performance.…”

“…1 This plays a key role in their exploration of the world, academic performance, sporting abilities, involvement in social activities, and self-efficacy. 2,3 In recent literature, visuomotor performance of very preterm children has been commonly described with the widely used Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration, 4 indicating widespread visuomotor integration deficits closely interrelated with poor motor performance. 5 Although these outcomes clearly illustrate the negative impact of very preterm birth on visuomotor skills and related motor performance, there is a lack of understanding of the underlying mechanisms of visuomotor problems in very preterm children, which hampers opportunities for efficient treatment.…”

“…1 This plays a key role in their exploration of the world, academic performance, sporting abilities, involvement in social activities, and self-efficacy. 2,3 In recent literature, visuomotor performance of very preterm children has been commonly described with the widely used Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration, 4 indicating widespread visuomotor integration deficits closely interrelated with poor motor performance.5 Although these outcomes clearly illustrate the negative impact of very preterm birth on visuomotor skills and related motor performance, there is a lack of understanding of the underlying mechanisms of visuomotor problems in very preterm children, which hampers opportunities for efficient treatment.Several studies have described the crucial role of internal models of motor planning and continuous motor control in visuomotor performance of typically developing children.6,7 During a visuomotor task, the nervous system has to predict the future location of a moving limb, thereby integrating efferent and afferent signals, eventually altering responses to any changes in the environment during the course of movement. By having internal models or representations of intended actions, predicting the outcome of movements can be processed much quicker in the brain than when a person has to rely on relatively slow sensory-feedback information, thereby providing efficiency to the brain's motor system.…”

Adaptation and Extension of the European Recommendations (EACD) on Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) for the UK context

“…For example, children with DCD have been reported to have a low self concept (Poulsen, Johnson, & Ziviani, 2011), high levels of anxiety (Pratt & Hill, 2011) and difficulty maintaining friendships ( Piek, Barrett, Allen, Jones, & Louise, 2005) compared to their age peers without motor difficulties. Some reports also indicate a higher incidence of more serious psychological and psychiatric disorders Green, Baird, & Sugden, 2006;Lingam et al, 2012) extending into adult life (Hill & Brown, 2013;Kirby, Williams, Thomas, & Hill, 2013). DCD has long been recognised and has been included in formal classification schemes since 1987 (APA, 1987).…”