A School Based Intervention Programme for Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder

Using the results of the classification procedures contained in the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (ABC) (Henderson and Sugden, 1992) eighteen children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) were identified and took part in a 5 week management programme. The programme was carried out exclusively in three Singaporean primary schools by teachers during curriculum time. The ABC contains two modes of identifying children with movement difficulties plus operational guidelines and suggested activities for the management of children with DCD. The management programme for this study was derived from the ABC manual using the cognitive-motor approach to intervention in consultation with the teachers. The individual profiles of the children were seen to improve from pre- to post- intervention suggesting that the management of children with DCD can take place profitability in a school setting once detailed and specific individual planning has been done. And that this process is compatible with the teacher operating within curricula time alone.