The purpose of this study was to investigate the family background, health-related conditions, and the developmental milestones of children identified with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). The parents of a sample of 17 children with DCD responded to questionnaires followed by an interview. The responses were analysed for family, health, and developmental background, psychosocial environment, limited movement opportunity, and hereditary factors. Many of the findings were consistent with issues identified in the literature, including demographic profiles, birth trauma, delayed physical developmental milestones, and hereditary factors. The sample included children with learning difficulties and children who were academically accelerated. Of particular interest were cases where limited participation in physical activiry might have curbed motor competence.

The current study examined kinaesthetic acuity and Performance IQ in preprimary children (aged 4-5 years) at risk of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD; American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Individual assessment of 317 children over four sessions at their pre-primary centre identified 31 children at risk of Developmental Coordination Disorder. These children were matched with 31 control children on age, gender, and Verbal IQ. The two groups were assessed using three Performance IQ subtests of the WPPSI-R and the Kinaesthetic Acuity Test (KAT, Livesey & Parkes, 1995). The results indicate that kinaesthetic acuity and Performance IQ subtests significantly differentiate children at risk of DCD from control children. These results suggest a need to assess the efficacy of kinaesthetic training in young children at risk of DCD. Furthermore, psychologists may be able to assist in the early detection of children at-risk of DCD via the WPPSI-R assessment results routinely obtained for young children.

This study investigated subgroup and task specificity of self-paced timing in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Self-paced tempo (intertap interval) and timing stability (coefficient of variation) were measured in three repetitive tasks—hand tapping, foot tapping, and jumping in place—in 37 children aged 6 to 9 years classified into gross motor impaired (GM), fine and gross motor impaired (F&G), or coordinated control (CC) groups. Results showed that, although tempo did not vary between coordination groups, timing stability for the hand was significantly worse for the F&G motor impaired group (p < .05). Discriminant function analysis correctly classified 75% of CC, 67% of F&G, and 67% of GM children. Although timing inconsistency of hand tapping identified a coordination subgroup, these tasks provide only moderate prediction of group membership.