Abstract
A framework of literacy may have roles to play in the assessment and treatment of children and youth with developmental disorders. This review aims to evaluate the conventional practice of assessment and treatment for children and youth with a developmental disorder in the physical domain, called developmental coordination disorder (DCD), and explore how the framework of physical literacy could contribute to the advancement of the current practice. This study adopts a method of narrative critical review based on a non-systematic search for its broad coverage to provide insights into the trend and future alternative directions. Over recent decades, children and youth with DCD have been typically assessed with standardized norm-referenced tests, before and after task-oriented intervention, for aiding diagnosis and evaluating the treatment effect. However, a recent high-quality systematic review showed limited evidence for the treatment effect assessed by the tests. Here, a framework of physical literacy is proposed to be used as an alternative to the conventional practice by recalibrating treatment goals and modifying the assessment and intervention approaches; criterion-referenced real-life authentic assessment and activities are encouraged with an emphasis on the enjoyment of movement and value of physical activity towards the attainment of physically active and healthy lifestyle goals from a lifespan perspective. The application of the physical literacy framework to the assessment and treatment of DCD needs to be further examined conceptually and empirically, while exploring a potential contribution of the literacy framework to transform the conventional assessment and treatment of children and youth with other developmental disorders.
Highlights
Neurodevelopmental disorders have a childhood onset and often persist into adulthood, requiring lifelong monitoring and support
The acquisition of basic skills or “literacy” is the primary focus; the development of literacy in the affected domains of reading, social communication, self-regulation, and physical activity have been considered appropriate as treatment goals of dyslexia [1], autism spectrum disorder [2], attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [3], and developmental coordination disorder (DCD) [4], respectively
The present review focuses on DCD, which affects 5–6% of school-aged children and features a significant delay in motor development with an early onset that interferes with activities
Summary
Neurodevelopmental disorders have a childhood onset and often persist into adulthood, requiring lifelong monitoring and support. To alter the developmental trajectories, early identification and intervention have been emphasized for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders. For these individuals, the acquisition of basic skills or “literacy” is the primary focus; the development of literacy in the affected domains of reading, social communication, self-regulation, and physical activity have been considered appropriate as treatment goals of dyslexia [1], autism spectrum disorder [2], attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [3], and developmental coordination disorder (DCD) [4], respectively. The present review focuses on DCD, which affects 5–6% of school-aged children and features a significant delay in motor development with an early onset that interferes with activities. Public Health 2020, 17, 4313; doi:10.3390/ijerph17124313 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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