Mannion Mary, Dowd Kieran, Cheilleachair Niamh Ni
Technological University of the Shannon, Athlone, Republic of Ireland.
PhD Physical Education and Sports Science, SHE Research Group and the Dept. Sport and Health Sciences, Technological University of the Shannon, Athlone, Republic of Ireland.
Child Care Health Dev. 2025 Jul;51(4):e70127. doi: 10.1111/cch.70127.
Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) often experience gross motor (GM) challenges. Left untreated, children may experience lasting physical, social and emotional repercussions. Limited information is available on the accessibility of GM-specific interventions.
The study objectives were to identify, (1) past intervention experiences, (2) present provisions and needs and (3) barriers which may prevent children from receiving future GM intervention.
A modified Delphi technique was used for the online survey development. Parents of children with DCD were recruited through voluntary DCD support organisations, social media and existing participants. Frequency analysis was used for fixed response questions.
Completed by 237 parents of children with DCD, this survey represented 70.8% males (n = 168); 28.7% females (n = 68); 0.5% not specified (n = 1) with a median age of 10.0 (IQR = 3.0) and diagnosis age of 7.0 (IQR = 3.0). Referrals were to occupational therapists (OT) (63.5%) for activities of daily living (30.9%) and GM challenges (29.0%). Waiting lists were prevalent (76%) with 43.9% waiting longer than 12 months for intervention. Lengthy wait times for publicly funded intervention programs (61.0%) and cost-prohibitive private therapy (26.2%) were cited as the primary reasons for some not yet receiving GM skill intervention. Few parents are involved in the interventions (14.3%), yet most parents (98.6%) expressed a willingness to help.
GM dysfunction is a primary concern of DCD noted by parents and teachers, yet delayed diagnosis and lengthy waiting lists prohibit children from receiving timely and targeted GM intervention. Alternative methods of delivery with parental involvement should be considered to accommodate the vast numbers of children in need.
Occupational therapists (OTs) and teachers are identified as the top providers of motor skill intervention for children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). Gross motor (GM) challenges are a primary concern for children with DCD, yet the treatment received likely prioritises activities of daily living (ADL) over GM difficulties. Targeted GM intervention is necessary but not often available due to lengthy waiting lists for publicly funded programmes and the high cost of private treatment. Although parents express a willingness to participate in the intervention process, their involvement is infrequently utilised. Collaborations between parents, teachers and therapists should be considered to make intervention more accessible and effective.
患有发育性协调障碍（DCD）的儿童经常面临大运动（GM）方面的挑战。若不加以治疗，儿童可能会经历持久的身体、社交和情感影响。关于大运动特定干预措施的可及性信息有限。
本研究的目的是确定：（1）过去的干预经历；（2）当前的提供情况和需求；（3）可能阻碍儿童未来接受大运动干预的障碍。
采用改良的德尔菲技术进行在线调查的开发。通过自愿的DCD支持组织、社交媒体和现有参与者招募了DCD儿童的家长。对固定回答问题采用频率分析。
237名DCD儿童的家长完成了这项调查，其中男性占70.8%（n = 168）；女性占28.7%（n = 68）；0.5%未明确说明（n = 1），中位年龄为10.0（四分位间距 = 3.0），诊断年龄为7.0（四分位间距 = 3.0）。转诊至职业治疗师（OT）的占63.5%，涉及日常生活活动（30.9%）和大运动挑战（29.0%）。等候名单很普遍（76%），43.9%的人等待干预的时间超过12个月。一些人尚未接受大运动技能干预的主要原因是公共资助干预项目的等待时间过长（61.0%）和私人治疗费用过高（26.2%）。很少有家长参与干预（14.3%），但大多数家长（98.6%）表示愿意提供帮助。
大运动功能障碍是家长和教师指出的DCD的主要问题，但诊断延迟和等候名单过长使儿童无法及时获得有针对性的大运动干预。应考虑采用家长参与的替代提供方式，以满足大量有需要的儿童。
职业治疗师（OT）和教师被确定为发育性协调障碍（DCD）儿童运动技能干预的主要提供者。大运动（GM）挑战是DCD儿童的主要关注点，但所接受的治疗可能优先考虑日常生活活动（ADL）而非大运动困难。有针对性的大运动干预是必要的，但由于公共资助项目的等候名单过长和私人治疗费用高昂，这种干预并不经常可得。尽管家长表示愿意参与干预过程，但他们的参与很少被利用。应考虑家长、教师和治疗师之间的合作，以使干预更易获得且更有效。
