Is severity of motor coordination difficulties related to co- morbidity in children at risk for developmental coordination disorder?

Aim of the study was to investigate whether 7–9 year old children with severe motor difficulties are more at risk of additional difficulties in activities in daily living, academic skills, attention and social skills than children with moderate motor difficulties.
Children (N =6959) from a population based cohort, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), were divided into three groups based on their scores on the ALSPAC CoordinationTest at age7: control children (scores above15th centile; N = 5719[82.1%]);children with moderate (between5th and15thcentile; N = 951[13.7%]); and children with severe motor difficulties (below 5thcentile N = 289[4.2%]) .Children with neurological disorders or an IQ < 70 were excluded.Logistic regression was used to compare children with moderate and severe motor coordination difficulties with each other and with control children regarding their riskof co-morbidity, defined as significant (<10th centile)difficulties withactivities of daily living (ADL);academicskills (reading,spelling and handwriting); attention;socialskills (social cognitionand non-verbalskills).
Children with severe motor difficulties demonstrated a higher riskofdifficulties in ADL,handwriting,attention,reading,and social cognition than children with moderate motor difficulties,who in turn had a higher riskofdifficulties than control children in five out of seven domains.
Screening and intervention of co-morbid problems is recommended for
children with both moderate and severe motor difficulties.