Aggressive interactions during free-play at preschool of children with and without developmental coordination disorder.

Journal article

This aim of this study was to investigate an unexpected finding from a larger study examining the play of preschool children with and without developmental coordination disorder (DCD). We found that children with DCD were more frequently involved in aggressive incidents during free-play than their peers. Children with (n=32) and without DCD (n=31) were videotaped during free-play at preschool and their play was assessed using the Play Observation Scale. A post hoc analysis was conducted using a specifically developed rating instrument to examine the aggressive incidents captured on video. Videos from 18 children with DCD and 8 typically developing children without DCD were found to contain aggressive incidents. Children with DCD were significantly more often involved as both aggressor (p=.016) and victim (p=.008) than children without DCD (p=.031). This is the first study to identify victimization and aggression as being problematic for children with DCD as young as 4 years of age and needs replication. Given the negative consequences of involvement in aggression and victimization, play-based early intervention focusing on prevention needs to be developed and implemented.

Authors: Kennedy-Behr, A; Rodger, S; Mickan, S

• Journal: Research in developmental disabilities
• Volume: 34
• Issue: 9
• Pages: 2831-2837
• Publication date: 2013-09-01
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2013.05.033
• EISSN: 1873-3379
• ISSN: 0891-4222
• Language: English
• Keywords: Child Behavior; Play and Playthings; Child, Preschool; Peer Group; Crime Victims; Motor Skills Disorders; Male; Child; Verbal Behavior; Humans; Aggression; Female; Bullying; Motor Activity