Efficacy of a Task-Oriented Intervention for Children with a Dual Diagnosis of Specific Learning Disabilities and Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Background: Task-oriented approaches are recommended for children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) to address deficits in motor performance and reduce activity limitations. Although this approach is used in several settings, the efficacy of these approaches in children with in dual-diagnosis of specific learning disabilities (SLD) and DCD is less widely known. This study aims to determine the effect of a group-based intervention based on neuromotor task training (NTT) principles on the motor performance of children aged 6–10 years with SLD/DCD. Methods: A pre-post-test controlled study design was conducted in children with a primary diagnosis of specific learning disabilities (SLD). DCD status was confirmed based on clinical assessment. Children scoring ≤16th percentile on the Motor Assessment Battery for Children 2nd Edition (MABC-2), who also presented with a functional motor problem, according to the MABC checklist were considered as having DCD. Children were allocated to the NTT intervention group based on teachers’ perceived notion of need and received two 45–60 min training sessions per week for nine weeks. Children allocated to the usual care (UC) group, received their planned occupational therapy and physical education. The MABC-2 was used to assess changes in motor performance. Outcome and Results: Our numbers confirm that it is crucial to identify the presence of motor coordination difficulties in children who have been diagnosed with SLD. A task-oriented training program based on NTT principles, presented in small groups, has a positive effect on the motor performance in learners with neurodevelopmental disorders and this effect was larger than in the usual care group. Conclusion and Implications: Although using a small group format in children with multiple neurodevelopmental disorders may be challenging for the therapists, it may be a way of delivering services to children in schools for special education. What this paper adds: Children with DCD plus LSD show improvement in their motor skills by performing group-based NTT in the school environment. Group-based NTT shows a significant improvement in the TSS score of the MABC-2 compared to usual care. Children with DCD plus SLD show equal effect sizes after NTT intervention as DCD without SLD.