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Updated: Jul 26, 2025

Measuring the Functional Abilities of Children Aged 3-6 Years Old with Observational Methods and Computer Tools
Published on: June 20, 2020
Insights on action observation and imitation abilities in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder and
Eleonora Bieber1, Bouwien C M Smits-Engelsman2, Giuseppina Sgandurra3
1Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris,Pisa, Italy.
Background:
Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) face difficulties in motor learning. Action observation and imitation are strategies frequently used to teach motor skills.
Aims:
(1) To study action observation and imitation abilities in children with DCD compared with typically developing peers with a new protocol. (2) To gain insights in the relation between action observation, imitation, motor performance and activities of daily living (ADL).
Method:
Twenty-one children with DCD (mean age 7 years 9 months, range 6-10 years) and 20 age-matched controls (mean age 7 years 8 months, range 6-10 years) were included. A newly developed protocol was used for testing action observation and imitation proficiency. Motor performance were evaluated with the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2. ADL were investigated with DCD Questionnaire'07.
Results:
Children with DCD presented significantly lower action observation (p = .037) and imitation abilities (p < .001) than peers. Worse action observation and imitation abilities were related to lower motor performance and ADL skills and a younger age. Non-meaningful gestures imitation proficiency had predictive value for global motor performance (p = .009), manual dexterity (p = .02) and ADL (p = .004).
Conclusions:
The new protocol for action observation and imitation abilities can be helpful for detecting motor learning difficulties and for delineating new opportunities for motor teaching approaches in children with DCD.
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