Development and evaluation of a group physical activity programme for children with developmental co-ordination disorder: An interdisciplinary approach

Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD) affects 6% of children in mainstream primary education. It is often associated with educational, social, and emotional problems that may continue beyond adolescence. This paper presents the development and evaluation of a specific group exercise intervention that has three significant features: (1) it is an interdisciplinary programme co-designed by a physiotherapist and a teacher; (2) it is community-based rather than clinic-based; and (3) it uses standardised tests to measure motor function in terms of general competence, perceived competence, and physical fitness. An A-B experimental design was used. Fourteen subjects aged 7-8 years (11 male; 3 female), recruited from 63 mainstream state primary schools in outer London were assessed before and after attending 10, 1-hour weekly classes at a Leisure centre. Two step identification of DCD was by the Movement Assessment Battery/Checklist for Children (ABC). Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) was measured as an estimate of ventilatory efficiency. Motor competence was assessed with the Movement ABC. Self-esteem was estimated with the Perceived Competence (Harter) Test. ABC scores decreased significantly following the programme, indicating improved motor competence. There was a significant improvement in FVC. The results and limitations of this pilot study are discussed and implications for future work presented.