The sensory profile of students with probable developmental coordination disorder (DCD)

Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) in children often co-occurs with sensory processing difficulties, which exacerbate the negative ramifications of DCD. Yet the evidence of this co-occurrence in adults is limited. The aim of this study is to compare the sensory profiles of typically developing (TD) and probable-DCD (pDCD) adults, while controlling for attention deficits, which is prevalent in this population. This study followed a cross-sectional comparative and correlational design. A sample of 225 university students was divided into two groups based on the cutoff score of the Adolescents & Adults Coordination Questionnaire (pDCD score > 26, (1-1.65 SD). Sixty-three and 162 students were assigned to the pDCD and typically developing groups, respectively. All participants completed the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP) and an attention symptoms questionnaire. Significant group effects were found on all sensory systems of the AASP, except for taste/smell. Furthermore, students with pDCD showed significantly more deficits on the registration and sensitivity quadrants, even when attention was controlled. The findings of high prevalence of sensory processing difficulties among university students with pDCD support the theoretical assumptions related to co- occurrence between these disorders as reported in previous limited studies. These results demonstrate the importance of assessing the sensory profile of this population and providing intervention accordingly.