title: Cognitive process-based subtypes of developmental coordination disorder (DCD).
abstract: The purpose of the study was to identify the cognitive subtypes demonstrated by children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) using the Planning-Attention-Simultaneous-Successive Processing (PASS) theory and the Cognitive Assessment System (D-N CAS). Participants were 108 children aged 5- and 6-years old, 54 with DCD and 54 without DCD, all attending typical kindergartens. They were examined on 31 cognitive-motor variables. Hierarchical-agglomerative and iterative partitioning cluster analyses including 9 motor and 7 cognitive variables revealed the following six subtypes: o C1 = children at risk (having considerable difficulty with jumping and minor difficulty with manual dexterity and simultaneous coding); o C2 = children on the mean (all cognitive-motor scores close to the mean); o C3 = free from cognitive-motor problems (all scores above average); o C4 = manual dexterity, planning and simultaneous coding difficulties; o C5 = manual dexterity, dynamic balance, and planning difficulties; o C6 = generalized cognitive-motor dysfunction (all scores considerably below average). It is well known that DCD is a heterogeneous condition. However, whenever cognitive processes were lower than average, cognitive-motor relationship was evident in subgroups C1, C4, C5 and C6. Early identification of task-specific cognitive-motor difficulties may be essential for early educational intervention practices in order to anticipate and improve learning, academic and performing difficulties.
authors.affiliation: National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece. Electronic address: kasonitou@phed.uoa.gr.
authors.forename: Katerina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Asonitou
authors.affiliation: National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Koutsouki
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance
keywords: CAS; Cognitive processes; DCD subtypes; Hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis; PASS theory