Do executive functions and gross motor skills predict writing and mathematical performance in children with developmental coordination disorder?

Abstract

Aim: To examine whether executive functions, and gross motor skills were predictors for school performance in children with DCD, with risk for DCD (r-DCD), and with typical development (TD).

Methods: Participants were 63 children with DCD (M_age = 8.70, SD_age = .64), 31 children with r-DCD (M_age = 8.90, SD_age = 0.74), and 63 typical development children (M_age = 8.74, SD_age = .63). Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2, Test of Gross Motor Development-3, Oral Word Span in Sentences, Odd-One-Out, Go/No-Go, Hayling Test, Trail Making Test, Five Digits Test, and the Test of School Performance-II were utilized.

Results: In DCD, processing speed (β = −.42, p = .005), and auditory-motor inhibition (β = −.36, p = .009), and auditory-verbal inhibition (β = −.38, p = .023) predicted math performance; and auditory-motor (β = −.40, p = .38) and visuospatial working memory (β = −.33 p = .011) predicted writing performance. In r-DCD, auditory-motor (β = − .67; p = .002) and visual-motor (β = −.40; p = .040) inhibition predicted math performance; visual-motor inhibition predicted writing performance (β = −.47; p = .015).

Conclusion: Lower inhibitory control and visuospatial working memory scores affect children with DCD and r-DCD’ school performance.

Keywords:

• Child development
• motor disorder
• executive functions
• writing performance
• math performance
• gross motor skills

Disclosure statement

The authors have no financial or personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work in this study.