Developmental coordination disorder is more than a motor problem: Children describe the impact of daily struggles on their quality of life

Introduction Affecting 5–6% of children, developmental coordination disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by poor motor coordination and difficulty learning motor skills. Although quantitative studies have suggested that children with developmental coordination disorder experience reduced quality of life, no known qualitative studies have reported what daily life is like from their perspective. Method Guided by an inductive realistic approach and using semi-structured, individual interviews, 13 children (8–12 years) were asked to describe what life is like in their own words. Three researchers coded interviews manually to identify relevant content. An experienced qualitative researcher conducted a second, in-depth thematic analysis using NVivo to identify patterns and themes. Findings Two themes – milestones as millstones and the perils of printing – illuminated participants’ challenges in completing everyday activities at home and at school. The third theme – more than a motor problem – revealed the social and emotional impact of these struggles and from being excluded from play. The fourth theme – coping strategies – described their efforts to be resilient. Conclusion Parents, educators, physicians, and therapists working with children with developmental coordination disorder must recognize how their quality of life is affected by the physical and emotional toll of their efforts to participate successfully in daily activities.

Rapid-Fire Pistol Shooting as a Dynamic Problem

The kinetic aspects of the aiming phase of a pistol-shooting task were examined in the light of the previous finding of relative timing invariance in the shooting phase of the same task. A single highly skilled marksman executed a total of 45 trials over three timing conditions in a normal competition setting. Data from a tri-axial accelerometer fixed to the pistol were used to produce phase plane trajectories of the movement in each of the three timing conditions. These trajectories showed marked consistency across timing conditions which indicated that the marksman applied a single kinetic solution to his motor problem.