Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a developmental condition that affects 1 to 2 children in every Canadian classroom. It is characterized by problems with coordination that causes children to have trouble with everyday activities including sports and play. Older children with poor coordination are less physically active than other children. Because of this it is believed that children with DCD are at a higher risk for becoming overweight, and developing health issues later in life. However, we do not know when activity levels begin to decline. In our study, we have tested 37 children with DCD and 22 typically developing (TD) children starting at age 4-5 once per year for 3 years. Each year we examined their motor skills and how active they are. Children with DCD were consistently less active than TD children, and girls were less active than boys at each time point. As young children with motor coordination difficulties are already showing lower physical activity levels, it is important that we intervene as early as possible in order to prevent them from becoming overweight and unfit as they get older.