Psychometric Properties of the Canadian Little Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire for Preschool Children

ABSTRACT

Aims: Test the psychometric properties and cut-off scores for the Canadian Little Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (Little DCDQ), which screens for coordination difficulties in children aged 3 to 4 years. Methods: Parents of children with typical development (n = 108) and children at risk for motor problems (n = 245) completed the questionnaire. A subgroup (n = 119) of children was tested with the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2) and the Beery–Buktenica Developmental Test of visual-motor integration (VMI) to determine motor impairment (MI). Results: Test-retest reliability (r = 0.956, p < .001) and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.94) were high. Construct validity was supported by a factor analysis and significant difference in scores of children who were typically developing and were at risk. Concurrent validity was evaluated for the children who received standardized motor testing, with significant difference between children with and without MI. Discriminant function analysis showed that all 15 items were able to distinguish the two groups. The questionnaire correlated well with the MABC-2 and VMI. Validity as a screening tool was assessed using logistic regression modeling (X²(5) = 25.87, p < .001) and receiver operating curves, establishing optimal cut-off values with adequate sensitivity. Conclusions: The Little DCDQ is a reliable, valid instrument for early identification of children with motor difficulties.

KEYWORDS. :

• Developmental coordination disorder, DCD, daily living skills
• health systems
• motor development
• self-care
• psychometric testing
• service delivery

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We gratefully acknowledge the financial assistance of the Alberta Center for Child, Family and Community Research and the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute for Child and Maternal Health. We are also grateful for the support of occupational and physical therapists within the Calgary community, especially Loralie Clark; the Day Cares and Programs and Alberta Health Services; most importantly, the families and children who agreed to participate.

Declaration of Interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Prof. Brenda N. Wilson, Dr. Dianne Creighton, and Dr. Jennifer A. Heath are affiliated with Alberta Children's Hospital and the University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Susan G. Crawford is affiliated with Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Lisa Semple is affiliated with Mt. Royal University, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Benjamin Tan is affiliated with University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Shannon Hansen is affiliated with Providence, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Other members of the “Little Movements, Lots to Learn” Project include Alice Holub, Ben Gibbard, Bethany Brewin, Kristine Neil, Loralie Clark, Melissa Wilson, Stacey Babcock, Heather Christianson, Kristin Sabourin, and Kristen Hui.

Notice of correction:

Acknowledgments have been added to this article since its original online publication date of December 2, 2014.