Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) participate less frequently and in less
diverse activities compared to typically-developing children. Participation restrictions have been
attributed to poor motor skills, but no studies have examined the influence of the environment on
participation of children with DCD. This study examined participation in children with DCD at
home, school and in the community, considering both personal and environmental factors.
Eighty-one parents of 4- to 12-year-old children with DCD (M=8.3, SD=2.1) completed the
Participation and Environment Measure-Child and Youth (PEM-CY). Our data were compared to
previously published data on typically-developing children. Children with DCD participated less
frequently than typically-developing children in school and community settings and had less
overall environmental support in all three settings. Regarding improvement in participation,
children with DCD would benefit from motor interventions that also focus on modification of the
environment to support their participation in home, school, and community settings.
