title: Identification of emotional and behavioral problems by teachers in children with developmental coordination disorder in the school community.
abstract: Current evidence on the co-occurrence of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) and psychosocial problems mainly concerns parent-reported information, but rarely includes teacher information. The aim of this study was (1) to investigate the teachers' identification of emotional and behavioral problems in children with DCD and (2) to examine the performance of the teacher version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-T) compared with the Teacher Report Form (TRF) in children with DCD. We assessed primary school children (202 boys, 200 girls, range 4-10.8 years, mean age 7.2 years) for DCD following the DSM IV-TR criteria. Emotional and behavioral problems were measured with the TRF (n=327) and the SDQ-T (n=361). DCD was established in 23 (5.7%) children, 16 boys and 7 girls (mean age 7.0 years). Children with DCD had a higher proportion of clinical scores on both the TRF Total Problem Scale (TRF TPS) and SDQ-T Total Difficulties Score (SDQ-T TDS). Children with DCD had increased odds on the TRF domains Thought (odds ratio, OR: 5.39), Externalizing (OR: 4.12) and Internalizing (OR: 4.42) problems, and on all SDQ-T-domains and Total Difficulties score (OR: 7.30). In the DCD group the SDQ-T TDS correlated strongly (Spearman's rho 0.80) with the TRF TPS and demonstrated a moderate agreement (Cohen's Kappa 0.53). In conclusion, teachers identified significantly more emotional and behavioral problems in children with DCD compared with their peers. The SDQ-T showed moderate agreement with the TRF in identifying emotional and behavioral problems in children with DCD.
authors.affiliation: University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Beatrix Children's Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: m.van.den.heuvel@umcg.nl.
authors.forename: Meta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van den Heuvel
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Danielle E M C
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sijmen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Reijneveld
authors.affiliation: University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Beatrix Children's Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Boudien C T
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Flapper
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Old Main Building, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Bouwien C M
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Smits-Engelsman
mesh_terms: D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D000066553:Problem Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000070777:School Teachers
keywords: Developmental Coordination Disorder; Emotional and behavioural problems; Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; Teacher's Report Form