Motor Coordination Performance Differences Between School Children

Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 2018; Special Volume (1)

Study conducted in selected primary schools within Klang Valley, Malaysia

Last reviewed: March 2026

Background and Context

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by impairments in the acquisition and execution of coordinated motor skills that significantly interfere with activities of daily living and academic performance. DCD affects an estimated 5–6% of school-aged children worldwide and is frequently underdiagnosed, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Children with DCD experience difficulties across multiple motor domains, including fine motor tasks such as handwriting, buttoning, and using scissors, as well as gross motor activities including running, jumping, and ball skills. These motor challenges have cascading effects on academic participation, social engagement, physical fitness, and psychological well-being.

In Malaysia, awareness of DCD and its impact on school-aged children has grown, but systematic assessment using validated tools remains limited. This study employed the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition (MABC-2), an internationally recognised assessment tool, to evaluate and compare motor coordination performance between children with DCD and typically developing peers in Klang Valley primary schools.

Study Design and Methods

A cross-sectional comparative design was used. Participants were recruited from integrative special education classes across six selected primary schools within the Klang Valley region of Malaysia. The study included 47 children with DCD (32 boys, 15 girls) and 16 children without DCD (15 boys, 1 girl), all aged between 7 and 10 years.

The MABC-2, Age Band 2, was administered to evaluate motor coordination across three domains: manual dexterity (fine motor skills including threading, drawing, and peg placement), aiming and catching (hand-eye coordination including throwing and catching tasks), and balance (static and dynamic balance including standing on one leg and walking along a line).

Independent t-tests analysed group differences on MABC-2 subtest scores and total test scores. Effect sizes were calculated to assess the magnitude of observed differences. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05, and analyses were performed using SPSS version 23.

Results and Analysis

The results confirmed significant motor coordination deficits in children with DCD compared with their age-matched peers across all assessed domains.

A notable finding was the substantial percentage of children with DCD who scored below the 15th percentile on the MABC-2 total test score, confirming the severity of their motor coordination difficulties based on international normative data. The gender distribution within the DCD group (68% boys) is consistent with the well-documented male predominance in DCD diagnosis observed internationally.

Implications for Education and Rehabilitation

These findings have direct implications for Malaysian education policy and school-based health services. The identification of significant motor coordination deficits across all three MABC-2 domains in children with DCD underscores the need for comprehensive motor skills assessment and targeted intervention within the school system.

School-based occupational therapy and physiotherapy programmes can play a vital role in improving motor outcomes for children with DCD. Evidence supports the effectiveness of task-oriented approaches, where children practise specific functional tasks that are meaningful in their daily school activities. Fundamental motor skills training programmes, incorporating activities that target manual dexterity, ball skills, and balance, have been shown to improve motor performance and physical fitness in children with DCD.

Teachers in integrative special education settings should receive training on recognising signs of DCD and understanding how motor difficulties can affect academic performance. Simple classroom accommodations, such as providing alternative writing tools, allowing extra time for motor-intensive tasks, and modifying physical education activities, can significantly improve the educational experience of children with DCD.

Limitations

The relatively small sample size, particularly in the non-DCD control group, limits the statistical power and generalisability of the findings. The unequal gender distribution in the control group is a notable limitation. The cross-sectional design does not allow tracking of motor development over time. Future research should employ larger samples with balanced gender distributions and longitudinal designs to evaluate the effectiveness of school-based interventions.