Work

Is Treating Motor Problems in DCD Just a Matter of Practice and More Practice?

Year: 2015

Type: review

Abstract: Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is often called a motor learning deficit. The question addressed in this paper is whether improvement of motor skills is just a matter of mere practice. Without any kind of intervention, children with DCD do not improve their motor skills generally, whereas they do improve after task-oriented intervention. Merely offering children the opportunity to practice motor skills, for instance by playing active video games, did lead to improved motor performance according to recent research findings, but to a lesser extent than task-oriented intervention. We argue that children with DCD lack the required motor problem-solving skills necessary to further improve their performance. Explicit motor teaching with an emphasis on developing these problem-solving skills is a necessary ingredient of intervention in DCD, leveraging the effectiveness of intervention above that of mere practicing.

Source: Current Developmental Disorders Reports

DOI: 10.1007/s40474-015-0045-7

Authors: Marina M. Schoemaker, Bouwien C. M. Smits-Engelsman

Institutions: University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, University of Cape Town, Groote Schuur Hospital, KU Leuven

Language: English

Topic: Children's Physical and Motor Development

Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,690