What is DCD and the criteria for diagnosis?
DCD encompasses a diverse spectrum of difficulties that affect a child’s ability to learn and carry out coordinated motor skills. In addition to this marked impairment in the development of motor coordination, a child must also meet the following criteria for diagnosis as defined by the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-IV): 1) the impairment must significantly interfere with academic achievement or activities of daily living; 2) the coordination problem is not due to a general medical condition (e.g. cerebral palsy, hemiplegia, or muscular dystrophy) and the criteria are not met for a pervasive developmental disorder; 3) if mental retardation is present, the motor difficulties must be in excess of those usually associated with it.
