Advances in Dyspraxia and Developmental Coordination Disorder in Children

Dear Colleagues,

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects a child’s ability to execute coordinated gross and fine movements, resulting in slow, awkward, or imprecise actions and challenges in acquiring new motor skills, poor balance, and difficulties with daily activities such as grasping objects, dressing, and writing. It is essential to understand that DCD is not attributed to organic, intellectual, or psychological factors, but rather to abnormalities in the brain regions that manage motor information processing. Additionally, DCD is commonly linked with other disorders, including developmental language disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorders, learning disabilities, and cognitive impairments. The limited mobility can elevate the risk of obesity and may contribute to social challenges such as isolation, decreased involvement in sports, social activities, or social interactions, and difficulties in establishing friendships. Furthermore, children with DCD may encounter psychosocial difficulties, including anxiety and depression. Therefore, early identification and intervention are vital for enhancing the long-term outlook.

To enhance our understanding of DCD, we invite submissions that explore a range of topics, including but not limited to the following areas: 1. Performing a comprehensive evaluation of children’s body functions and structures, their activities and participation, as well as the environmental factors at play. Such evaluations are vital for assessing the degree and severity of impairments in children’s body functions and structures, identifying limitations in their activities and participation, and recognizing the environmental influences that either obstruct or facilitate their engagement. 2. The development and assessment of intervention strategies aimed at improving cognitive-motor and psycho-social skills are important. Utilizing the findings from these evaluations, tailored rehabilitation objectives can be set, and specific interventions can be designed to meet the distinct needs of each child.

We encourage experts and academics in this area to contribute scientific reports related to this Special Issue, considering your interest in the topic. Researchers and practitioners are invited to describe their initiatives aimed at creating innovative methodologies or inclusive educational approaches that emphasize assessment and intervention. These contributions should enhance our comprehension of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) and its effects on motor skill development, cognitive abilities, and psychosocial behavior.

Dr. Katerina Asonitou
Prof. Dr. Dimitra Koutsouki
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)
• dyspraxia
• comorbidity
• motor learning disability
• motor performance
• executive functions
• neurological factors
• psychological factors
• assessment
• intervention strategies
• behavior