Terminology used in research reports of developmental coordination disorder

Abstract

A systematic search was performed of all articles from January 1995 to December 2005 published in peer‐reviewed journals on children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Criteria were applied to ensure that articles included DCD so 319 articles were included in the analysis. Since the publication of a systematic search conducted in 1994, the number of publications in this field has greatly increased across countries and disciplines. The term DCD was used in 52.7% of the articles. Other terms were used less frequently: clumsy children (7.2%), developmental dyspraxia (3.5%), handwriting problems (3.1%), hand‐eye coordination problems (2.8%), sensory integration dysfunction (2.5%), deficits in attention, motor control, and perception (2.5%), minor neurological dysfunction (2.2%), and several other scattered terms (23.5%). The data indicated that progress has been made in the usage of the term DCD, but a standardized approach has not yet been achieved. Without consistent use of the term DCD, there is limited communication of research results internationally, slowed progress in understanding the condition, and limited development of intervention and management programmes for children with DCD.

European Academy for Childhood Disability (EACD): Recommendations on the definition, diagnosis and intervention of developmental coordination disorder (long version)*

“…Looking at original papers, the term 'DCD' was used in 52.7%, 'clumsy children' in 7.2%, and 'developmental dyspraxia' in 3.5% of articles (see systematic review from January 1995 to December 2005 by Magalhaes et al 16 ). In 23.5% of the articles other terms were used.…”

Developmental Coordination Disorder in School-Aged Children Born Very Preterm and/or at Very Low Birth Weight: A Systematic Review

“…Sources were identified using the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and keywords "infant, premature," "infant, low birth weight/," "infant, very low birth weight/," "preterm," "prematurity," "low birth weight," and "very low birth weight." These were combined with an extensive list of keyword terms related to developmental coordination disorder (DCD), 11 which were included to account for variations in nomenclature prior to 1994. The final electronic searches were performed on November 30, 2010.…”

“…10 In the past, several terms have been used to describe this constellation of motor difficulties, including clumsy child syndrome, developmental dyspraxia, and perceptuomotor dysfunction. 11 Following an international consensus meeting in 1994, the term developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is now widely used to describe children with "minor" motor difficulties, 12 including those born very prematurely or VLBW. 3 DCD is based on 4 criteria 13 :…”

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and developmental coordination disorder: Two separate disorders or do they share a common etiology.

“…While for some it may reflect the inability to control activity levels and impulsivity, for many it more closely resembles the presence of a movement disorder referred to as developmental coordination disorder (DCD). The connection between ADHD and DCD has been recognized for several decades [e.g., 7] and the overlap between both disorders is estimated to be around 50% [3,[8][9][10][11][12]. DCD is defined as a marked impairment in the learning and execution of movement skills given the person's chronological age and opportunity for skill acquisition and use, that significantly and persistently interferes with activities of daily living and impacts on academic/school productivity, prevocational and vocational activities, leisure and play [1].…”