Coordination Disorder
Home Up Learning Disorders Mental Retardation Autism Asperger's Coordination Disorder Communication Dis. Conduct Disorder Oppositional Dis. Other Disorders Depression Tourette's Syndrome Bullying

 

Developmental Coordination Disorder: In younger children, this disorder may show up as clumsiness and delays in walking, crawling, sitting, tying shoelaces, buttoning shirts, and zipping pants. Older children may have difficulty assembling puzzles, building models, playing ball, or printing and handwriting.  This disorder is not related to a specific neurological condition such as cerebral palsy or lesions of the cerebellum.  The diagnosis is not used in Pervasive Developmental Disorder.

There must be a coordination problem substantially greater than expected for the child's age and intelligence.

DCD Children Have Other Problems, Too: A study of 45 children with DCD, 51 with suspected DCD, and 78 children without DCD were compared. The DCD and suspected DCD children had more problems with attention and learning, as well as a high level of social problems and somatic complaints. Developmental coordination disorder: associated problems in attention, learning, and psychosocial adjustment. Dewey D, Kaplan BJ, Crawford SG, Wilson BN. Hum Mov Sci. 2002 Dec;21(5-6):905-18

Omega-3/Omega-6 Help Learning and Behavior: Developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD) affects 5% of school-aged children and is associated with difficulties in learning, behavior, and psychosocial adjustment that persist into adulthood. A relative lack of certain polyunsaturated fatty acids may contribute to related neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders such as dyslexia and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. In a 3-month DB PC crossover study of 117 children with DCD ages 5-12, no effect of the omega-3/omega-6 supplement on motor skills was apparent, but significant improvements were found in reading, spelling, and behavior. After the crossover, similar changes were seen in the placebo-active group, whereas children continuing with active treatment maintained or improved their progress. The Oxford-Durham study: a randomized, controlled trial of dietary supplementation with fatty acids in children with developmental co-ordination disorder. Richardson A. J., Montgomery P. (2005) Pediatrics, 115, 1360-1366.