Psychometric properties of the Little Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire-Taiwan

Importance: Early identification of young children at risk of developmental coordination disorder (DCD) can support early intervention and prevent secondary sequelae. Objective: This study examined the psychometric properties of the translated and cross-culturally adapted Little Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire-Taiwan (LDCDQ-TW). Design: Prospective study. Setting: Parent respondents, recruited via kindergarten settings. Participants: 1124 parents of typically developing children ages 36-71 months. Children with confirmed developmental diagnoses were excluded. Outcomes and Measures: The LDCDQ-TW, a 15-item parent questionnaire for identifying children at risk for DCD, and the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (2nd edition) (MABC-2). Results: Findings revealed excellent test-retest reliability (ICC=0.97) and fair inter-rater reliability (ICC=0.47). Using MABC-2 scores, the non-DCD group (> 15th percentile) scored significantly higher than the DCD and suspect-DCD groups on the LDCDQ-TW, but the latter two groups did not differ. Using the 15th percentile of both the MABC-2 and the LDCDQ-TW, sensitivity was 0.96 and specificity 0.68. Conclusions and Relevance: While standardized performance-based assessments are required to confirm a DCD diagnosis (typically after the age of 5), the LDCDQ-TW demonstrated sound reliability and validity and can support the early identification of young children at risk of DCD in Taiwan. What This Article Adds: The LDCDQ-TW questionnaire has sound psychometric properties and can be used to support early identification and monitoring of young children at risk of DCD