Developmental Coordination Disorder Essay -- Disease/Disorders

Developmental Coordination Disorder Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), also referred to as dyspraxia, is a motor disorder. The condition is characterized primarily by â€Å"lack of co-ordination/poor co-ordination,† â€Å"motor-difficulties/impairment,† â€Å"planning difficulties,† and â€Å"organizational difficulties† (Kirby, Davies, & Bryant, 2005, p. 124). DSM-IV-TR criteria for Developmental Coordination Disorder includes: (1) â€Å"marked impairment in the development of motor coordination,† (2) â€Å"significant interfere[nce] with academic achievement or activities of daily living,† and (3) the absence of â€Å"a general medication condition† or â€Å"Pervasive Developmental Disorder† (Lingam, Hunt, Golding, Jongmans, Emond, 2009, p. e695). Furthermore, in the presence of mental retardation, motor difficulties must be considered excessive in nature (Lingham et al., 2009, p. e695). The neurological disorder is generally diagnosed in children aged between six and twelve years, the condition affecting boys three times more often than girls (Hamilton, 2002; Gardner, 2008). Despite the fact that DCD affects roughly 6.4 percent of children, few individuals are familiar with the condition (Hamilton, 2002). In fact, a study by Kirby, Davies, & Bryant (2005) revealed that only 54.3% of teachers and 26.7% of general practitioners could accurately define DCD (p. 124). In response, the condition will be briefly outlined here. Classification Attempts have been made to been further categorize CDC into subtypes. Verification evidence appears to be somewhat questionable. Nevertheless, Appleford School in Wiltshire, England issued a fact sheet listing six commonly recognized forms of developmental dyspraxia: (1) Ideomotor: difficulty executing a motor task; (2) I... ...L., Golding, J., Jongmans, M., & Emond, A. (2009). Prevalence of developmental coordination disorder using the DSM-IV at 7 years of age: A UK population-based study. Pediatrics, 123(4), e693-700. doi: 10.1542/peds.2008-1770 Pauc, R. (2010). The Learning Disability Myth: Understanding and overcoming your child’s diagnosis of Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, Tourette’s syndrome of childhood, ADD, ADHD, or OCD. London: Virgin Books. Trawick-Smith, J. (2010). Early childhood development: A multicultural perspective, 5th edition. Columbus, Ohio: Merrill. Vasconcelos, O., Rodrigues, P., Barreiros, J. & Jacobsohn, L. (2009). Laterality, developmental coordination disorders and posture. In L. P. Rodrigues, L. Saraiva, J. Barreiros & O. Vasconcelos (Eds.) Estudos em desenvolvimento motor da crianà §a II (pp.19-26). Escola Superior de Educaà §Ãƒ £o, Instituto Polità ©cnico de Viana do Castelo.