Dyspraxias in specific motor areas in children with Developmental Coordination Disorders (DCD) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Francisco Rosa Neto; Lucia Andreis; Sany Fernandes; Ricardo Pimenta

doi:10.6063/motricidade.38029

Dyspraxias in specific motor areas in children with Developmental Coordination Disorders (DCD) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Authors

Francisco Rosa Neto Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1670-024X
Lucia Andreis Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5714-4687
Sany Fernandes Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina - Brasil
Ricardo Pimenta Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6063/motricidade.38029

Keywords:

Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Motor Skills, Motor Skills Disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract

Dyspraxias are neurodevelopmental disorders that affect one or more areas of motor development and can be expressed in different ways in Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). The aim was to identify dyspraxia in specific motor areas in children with DCD and ADHD. Children (6-10 years old) were recruited from ten Brazilian public schools. The sample consisted of 49 children with ADHD and 11 with DCD. Additionally, 180 children with typical development (TD) were included as controls. The Motor Development Scale was used to identify dyspraxia in specific motor areas. Our findings revealed lower general motor quotient results in children with DCD and with ADHD when compared with TD children. More specifically, the ADHD group showed lower scores in perceptive domains compared to the DCD and TD groups. In the coordinative and proprioceptive areas, the DCD group showed lower scores than the ADHD and TD groups. These data suggest that dyspraxia acts in different motor areas for children with ADHD and DCD. We conclude that specific motor dysfunctions facilitate understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders, can contribute to differential diagnosis, and favour the development of motor intervention programs.

Author Biographies

Francisco Rosa Neto, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina

Professor Titular da Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (UDESC) e Coordenador do Laboratório Desenvolvimento Humano (LADEHU/UDESC). Doutorado em Medicina do Esporte, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Zaragoza (Espanha). Mestrado em Deficiência Mental e Transtornos de Aprendizagem, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sevilha (Espanha). Especialista em Ciências Morfofuncionais do Esporte, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Córdoba (Espanha). Licenciatura plena em Educação Física (UDESC). Coordenador do Laboratório de Desenvolvimento Humano (UDESC). Livros publicados: Manual de Avaliação Motora (ARTMED, 2002); Manual de Avaliação Motora na Terceira Idade (ARTMED, 2009); Manual de Desempenho Escolar (UNISUL, 2010); Desenvolvimento Neuropsicomotor (UNISUL, 2011); Manual de Intervenção Motora (UDESC, 2016); Manual de Avaliação Motora - EDM III (2020); Manual de Atividades Lúdicas para as Inteligências (2020); Manual de Desenvolvimento Infantil "Período Lactente" (2021); Manual de Avaliação Motora na Terceira Idade EMTI II (EDM, 2022)

Lucia Andreis, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina

Doutora e Mestre em Ciências do Movimento Humano - CEFID/UDESC (2022 e 2017, respectivamente), área de concentração Comportamento Motor. Graduanda em Educação Física (licenciatura) - CEFID/UDESC. Especialista em Gerontologia Interventiva pela Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos - UNISINOS/RS (2014). Graduada em Quiropraxia pela Universidade Feevale/RS (2012). Membro do Laboratório de Desenvolvimento Humano (LADEHU), Núcleo de Gerontomotricidade. Tem experiência na área do Desenvolvimento Motor, Gerontologia, Psicometria, Bioestatística e Quiropraxia.

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Published

2025-12-29

How to Cite

Rosa Neto, F., Andreis, L., Fernandes, S., & Pimenta, R. (2025). Dyspraxias in specific motor areas in children with Developmental Coordination Disorders (DCD) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Motricidade, 21, e38029. https://doi.org/10.6063/motricidade.38029

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Issue

Vol. 21 (2025): Motricidade

Section

Original Article

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