Executive Functioning, Motor Difficulties, and Developmental Coordination Disorder

The current study assessed a comprehensive range of executive functions (EFs) in children with poor motor skills, comparing profiles of children with a diagnosis of developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and those identified with motor difficulties (MD). Children in both groups performed more poorly than typically developing controls on nonverbal measures of working memory, inhibition, planning, and fluency, but not on tests of switching. The similar patterns of strengths and weaknesses in children with MD and DCD have important implications for parents, teachers, and clinicians, as children with MD may struggle with EF tasks even though their motor difficulties are not identified.