Background: Participating in leisure activities is one positive aspect that promotes a sense of belonging and a social support network, which are beneficial for better health and well-being. Despite this, children with physical disabilities participate less in leisure activities, including children with Developmental Coordination Disorders (DCD). Given that children with DCD suffer from difficulties with bodily function, it is inevitable that they do not participate as much as typically developing children in the activity. However, there is limited literature about how this affects the everyday life of children with DCD. Aim: This systematic literature review aims to identify factors that affect the participation and self-perceptions of children with developmental coordination disorder in leisure activities. Method: A literature search was conducted by searching three different databases (CINHAL, MEDLINE, and ProQuest) which identified 83 peer-reviewed articles using specific inclusion and exclusion criteria from which ten was included in analysis. Results: Children with DCD participate less in leisure activities, becoming less physically active and social. They are also more excluded than typically developing children from certain leisure activities due to limitations related to their motor skills and have a negative view regarding their senses of self in relation to them not participating in leisure activities. Conclusion: Not participating in leisure activities harms children with DCD's sense of self and everyday life. Children with DCD are excluded from participating in leisure activities, and this exclusion takes place on different levels. Not participating in leisure activities results in social isolation and exclusion.

Projektet hade som syfte att hjälpa personer med diagnosen dyspraxi, mer specifikt oral dyspraxi. Oral dyspraxi yttrar sig som problematik medatt koordinera munrörelser vilket kan leda till svårigheter att prata tydligt och därmed även saker som svårigheter att kommunicera med andra och talgenans. Dyspraxi yttrar sig som tydligast hos unga barn då dessa ännu inte hunnit utveckla metoder för att dölja sin funktionsnedsättning. I projektet uppstod idén att denna problematik kunde hjälpas genom att skapa motivation och glädje i talpedagogiksessioner som annars kan kännas som utdragna för det barn som genomgår dem. Denna tanke ledde till efterforskning kring gamification och resulterade i ett brädspel som används av barnet med dyspraxi ihop med en talpedagog baserat på talpedagogikmetoden Rapid Syllable Transition Treatment. Brädspelet ficknamnet svammel utifrån de nonsensord som förekommer inom RapidSyllable Transition Treatment.

Children with developmental coordination disorders (DCD) inherently have neuromotor disruptions that impact their functional performance (Watemberg et al., 2007). The prevalence of developmental coordination disorder is high among children with diagnoses such as ADHD and autism (Maciver et al., 2011). DCD presents with motor coordination problems, visual motor integration difficulties, sensory processing differences, and communication and behavior challenges. These difficulties lead to specific learning delays that affect reading, writing, and math as well as related mental health problems. There is an emerging body of evidence substantiating the need for effective diagnosis, which would lead to improved management of the population. Evidenced-based occupational therapy interventions for children with DCD are limited, which impacts the training opportunities for occupational therapists who are interested in using effective interventions in their practice. The literature highlights the Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) method as the only evidence-based practice intervention method, however sensory integration treatment is the preferred treatment used by 90% of pediatric occupational therapists in the United States (AOTA, 2015b). Although there is limited evidence supporting popular interventions such as sensory integration, neurodevelopmental therapies, and deficit-oriented interventions, there is a growing interest and desire for ways to address the needs of the DCD population. Consistent themes throughout the literature are to promote awareness and develop appropriate evidence-based interventions for children being diagnosed with DCD. I propose that this clinical gap can be remediated by providing an evidence-informed, multi-faceted intervention model that is supported by current neuroscience research. With growing bodies of literature in the neuroscience research community, I propose using an integrated model such as the Margow Model (Margow, 2014). The model integrates several philosophies of treatment that can be easily implemented with a clear plan of intervention. Occupational therapists need an accessible tool that incorporates task-oriented interventions, sensory processing strategies, cognitive strategies and functional activities that can be carried over into daily living skills.

This dissertation explores how children with and without developmental coordination disorder (DCD) ‘look’ and ‘see’: how they integrate vision and attention to guide arm and hand movements during a visuomotor task. Chapter 1 provides the thesis context, reviewing the vision and attention literature, outlining the role of these processes in motor performance, and reviewing what is known about vision and attention in children with DCD. Chapter 1 includes a discussion on eye tracking to measure visual attention, and outlines the thesis purpose and objectives.Chapter 2 focuses on children with DCD, detailing their presentation and clinical management. This chapter serves to increase the reader’s understanding of the difficulties children with DCD experience, and to demonstrate the need for intervention to prevent the profound consequences that can impact their quality of life. Chapter 3 presents a study that explores how children with and without DCD employ vision and attention to accomplish a visuomotor task in a natural setting, using a novel eye tracking design. Highlighted here are important differences during visuomotor task performance: compared to their peers, children with DCD did not use predictive gaze to attend to relevant task objects, but rather used vision to guide their arm/hand throughout the task. Chapter 4 outlines lessons learned from using an eye tracker with children with DCD, describing the children for whom eye tracking was not reliable, and discussing equipment and participant factors that impact eye tracker use. Recommendations for future research using eye tracking with the DCD population are provided. Finally, Chapter 5 discusses the clinical and research implications of the studies conducted here. Insights gained regarding visual attention differences between children with and without DCD are discussed in the context of interventions to improve health outcomes in children with DCD and the design of future eye tracking studies. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Introduktion: Två till tre barn beräknas årligen födas med diagnosen Congenital disorder of glycosylation (CDG). Flera symptom kan kopplas till diagnosen och däribland balans- och koordinationssvårigheter. Fysioterapi används för att hjälpa individen att hantera motoriska besvär, vilket gör fysioterapi till en viktig del i behandlingen. Då diagnosen fortfarande är relativt nyupptäckt är kunskapsgrunden gällande fysioterapi och dess applikation på patientgruppen relativt liten. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att undersöka effekten av fysioterapeutiska behandlingsmetoder hos barn och ungdomar med balans- och koordinationssvårigheter, vid utvecklings koordinationsstörning (DCD) och sjukdomar liknande Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation (CDG).  Metod: PICO användes till att utforma sökord till de två frågeställningarna. Totalt 12 sökningar utfördes i databaserna, Pubmed, Sage journals, Cinahl och ScienceDirect. I dessa databaser valdes totalt 20 artiklar ut för att besvara syftet. Resultat: Samtliga studier presenteras i en PICO tabell. Vid balanssvårigheter är de vanligaste interventionerna olika typer av styrketräning, motiverande aktiviteter som utmanar balansen som till exempel Taekwondo samt balansspel i exergames. Vid koordinationssvårigheter är de vanligaste interventionerna lekfulla och utmanande för den motoriska funktionen, som Neuromotorisk träning eller utmanande spel med Wii-fit där barnen behöver tänka extra på sitt rörelsemönster eller balans. Konklusion: Den vetenskap som finns idag visar att fysioterapi har en god effekt vid balans- och koordinationssvårigheter för diagnoser där dessa två symptom är mycket vanligt förekommande, till exempel vid utvecklings koordinationsstörning och cerebral pares. Det visar även på att mer forskning behövs för framtiden för att kunna svara på vilka interventioner som specifikt kan anpassas till CDG patienten.

Motor competence is positively associated with physical activity and health-related fitness (HRF) across childhood and adolescence. Owing to their motor difficulties, children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) are found to have poorer HRF and lower activity levels compared to typically developing (TD) children. It is thought that children with DCD are less physically fit due in part to hypoactivity; however, it is still unclear how young these deficits emerge, or if physical activity explains these HRF differences. This thesis aims to fill these gaps by examining physical activity and HRF in preschool children with and without DCD, and testing mediation models linking motor competence to HRF through physical activity engagement, both cross-sectionally and over time from preschool to school age. The first and second studies demonstrated that preschool children with DCD exhibit poorer musculoskeletal and aerobic fitness compared to TD children, however physical activity engagement was similar and did not explain these fitness deficits. The third study found that the relationship between motor competence and physical activity was not significant at preschool age, but emerged over time as children reached school age. Additionally, motor competence was a significant positive predictor of musculoskeletal fitness across the early years, again largely independent of physical activity levels. This thesis represents the first comprehensive series of studies that examines objectively-measured motor competence, physical activity and HRF in large samples of preschool-age children both with and without DCD. These studies highlight that poor motor competence is a risk factor for poor physical fitness, irrespective of physical activity in the early childhood period. Early motor interventions may positively influence physical fitness and may help to prevent the declines in physical activity observed as children with DCD reach middle childhood and adolescence. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Children with motor coordination difficulties are more likely to be unfit and inactive compared to typically developing (TD) children. However, it is still not understood when these problems emerge, or if inactivity explains why children with motor difficulties are less physically fit. This thesis examines the links between motor competence, physical activity, and fitness in two large cohorts of preschool-age children. Results show that young children with motor difficulties are less physically fit, but are not less active than TD children. In addition, children with better motor skills become more active as they get older. Despite similar physical activity levels at preschool age, these findings highlight that poor motor abilities in early childhood are a risk factor for poor physical fitness and future inactivity. Interventions targeting motor skills in the early years may help children stay active and healthy as they age.

The first purpose of this thesis was to examine whether sensorimotor therapy utilizing the training program ”Retraining for Balance” might be an appropriate technique for sensorimotor proficiency. The second purpose was to gain increased understanding of the effects of sensorimotor therapy on the physical and psychological development of children and youth. A third purpose was to put sensorimotor therapy in a wider perspective through a somewhat novel extension of the theoretical framework. Two naturalistic studies were conducted. Paper I was quantitative and comprised 232 children (181 boys and 51 girls) divided into three groups (1) a younger group (7 years or younger, n=65), (2) a middle group (8 to 10 years old, n=91) and, (3) an older group (11 years old or older, n=76). The participants presented attentional and motor difficulties before starting therapy. The treatment period was in average close to 3 years. Results indicated significant improvements concerning sensorimotor skills in all age groups. Paper II was a qualitative study, which included the records of 8 children (7 boys and 1 girl) randomly selected from the cohort of 232 children. The analysis used the EPP-method and yielded 3 overarching themes, which together formed “the kinesthetic-vestibular developmental model”. The model illustrated how Introductions of sensorimotor exercises pushed the therapy process forward due to periods of Regression and Transformation. The results were generalized to the remaining 224 children in the cohort by comparing each participant’s records with “the kinesthetic-vestibular developmental model”. The tentative conclusion was that sensorimotor therapy according to the method “Retraining for Balance” might constitute a complement to treatment of ADHD, DCD and LD but controlled studies are necessary before more decisive conclusions can be drawn. / Baksidestext   This thesis had three purposes. (1) to examine whether sensorimotor therapy (SMT) using the training program ”Retraining for Balance” might be a proper technique for sensorimotor proficiency. (2) to gain increased understanding of the effects of SMT on physical and psychological development and, (3) to put SMT in a wider perspective by an extension of the theoretical framework. Two naturalistic studies were conducted. Paper I, which was quantitative, comprised 232 children who presented attentional and motor difficulties. The cohort was divided into three groups depending on age and results after therapy indicated improvements in all groups. Paper II, a qualitative study, selected records of 8 children from the cohort. Analysis yielded 3 overarching themes, which together formed “the kinesthetic-vestibular developmental model” illustrating how Introductions of exercises pushed the process forward due to Regressions and Transformations. The results were generalized to the remaining 224 children. The tentative conclusion of this thesis was that SMT might constitute a complement to treatment of ADHD, DCD and LD but controlled studies are necessary before decisive conclusions can be drawn.

Bibliographic identification METLICKÁ, Martina. Testing dyspraxia of children and adolescents dancing acrobatic rock'n'roll and of children and adolescents with specific abnormalities. Prague: Charles University, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Department of rehabilitation and sports medicine, 2015. 91p. Supervisor MUDr. Josef Kraus, CSc. Abstract The theoretical part of this thesis briefly summarizes the findings of developmental dyspraxia and briefly characterizes different diseases encountered by tested subjects from a test sample of children with specific abnormalities, neurofibromatosis type 1 and Asperger's syndrome, and explores their relationship with developmental dyspraxia. The possibility of using dance therapy is also mentioned. The practical part is focused on evaluating the level of motor skills of children with specific abnormalities and children's rock and roll dancers using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2. Another objective is to determine whether the level of motor skills correlates with the level of attention tested by the Test of attention d2. The final goal is to assess the degree of physical activity of rock and roll dancers using the accelerometer ActiGraph GT3X. We confirm the presence of motor difficulties of children with specific abnormalities, however we did not confirm...

The thesis is foccused on the problematics of the developmental coordination disorder and its presence within the patiens with the idiopathic scoliosis. The theoretical part deals with the explanation of the terms of developmental coordination disorder, sensory integration and idiopathic scoliosis. The experimental part looks for the connection among the idiopathic scoliosis and the dvelopmental dyspraxia. Thirty patients took part in it. Eighteen of them were patiens with the idiopathic scoliosis, these were divided into two groups according to the age. The first group at the age of 7 to 10 years counted four patiens, the other group from 11 to 16 years contained fourteen patiens. The controll group involved twelve children from the fifth class of the common primary school. The children were tested by the standardized Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2 (MABC-2). Furthermore the measurement was completed by two questionnaires for parents. In the DCDQ'07 they assessed the motor abilities of their child compared to children of the same age and gender. The other questionnaire was aimed at closer information obout the pregnancy, development of the child, presence of any disease or impairment, etc. The difference between motor skills of children with the idiopathic scoliosis and the controll group in...

The thesis "Special educational diagnosis and intervention for people with developmental dyspraxia, developmlent coordination disorder" summarizes in it's theoretical part the current findings about developmental dyspraxia. It focuses especially on the informations of diagnostics and intervention, which are used or can be usable in special pedagogy. The practical part of the thesis pursues the current state of developmental dyspraxia diagnostics in the Czech republic and by the help of questionaries, which were addressed to pedagogical-psychological clinic workers, tries to describe the current situation. The accent is put on Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2, which is currently one of the most widespread standardized methods used to development dyspraxia diagnostics.