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Play and wellbeing of preschool children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD)
Abstract

Play and wellbeing of preschool children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD)

Ann Kennedy-Behr, Sylvia Rodger and Sharon Mickan
Occupation Therapy Australia National Conference and Exhibition, 25th (Adelaide, Australia, 24-Jul-2013–26-Jul-2013)
2013
url
https://thinkbusiness.conference-services.net/reports/template/onetextabstract.xml?xsl=template/onetextabstract.xsl&abstractID=715025View
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Abstract

Public Health and Health Services
Introduction: Play is an important childhood occupation. While it is known that school-aged children with DCD are less involved in play and leisure than their typically developing peers, little is known about the play of preschool children with DCD. Objectives: To investigate the the play of preschool children with DCD and explore whether their wellbeing is affected by their engagement in play. Method: A quasi-experimental design was used to compare the developmental play skills, frequency in engagement in play and wellbeing of two independent groups of preschool children aged 4-6 years with (n= 32) and without (n= 31) probable DCD. Motor skills were assessed using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children - Second Edition and the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire - German. Play skills were assessed using the Revised Knox Preschool Play Scales and the Play Observation Scale based on 30 minutes of videotape of free-play at preschool. Wellbeing was assessed using a parent-proxy version of the Revised Children Quality of Life Questionnaire (KINDLR). Results: Children in the DCD group had a lower developmental age, and engaged less frequently in play than the typically developing (TD) group. They were more frequently involved in onlooking and unoccupied behaviour and aggressive incidents than their peers. Parents of children with DCD reported lower wellbeing for their children at preschool compared to parents of the TD children. Conclusion: Interventions should be targeted at preschool age to support children with DCD and enable them to take advantage of participation in preschool in the same ways as their peers.

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