Goal-Orientated Group Intervention for Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder

ABSTRACT

This study measures the effectiveness of a goal-orientated group intervention using concentrated practice schedules for children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). The study design is repeated measures. The sample comprises eight children with DCD, aged 7–11 years. Outcome measures are the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC), the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), Harter's Scale of Perceived Competence/Harter and Pike's Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence, and clinical observations. The children set goals with the perceived efficacy and goal setting system with parents/caregivers input. The intervention used a goal-oriented approach combining motor learning and cognitive strategies consisting of eight 50-min sessions over 2 weeks. The results show significant improvements in the COPM and MABC scores following intervention but no changes in Harter's scores. Fifty-six goals were identified with 34 met totally, 12 met partially, and 10 remained unmet. A goal-oriented group intervention shows potential as an effective intervention method.

KEYWORDS. :

• Developmental coordination disorder
• group intervention
• outcome measures