Date Presented 03/26/20
Adults with DCD only or DCD with co-occurrence reported significantly lower success in past (late adolescent) social relationships, compared to typically developing adults. Yet in adulthood, the DCD-only group did not differ significantly from the typically developing group in social relationships. Adults with DCD appear to have more positive social experiences than they did in adolescence. The results suggest a unique contribution of different patterns of neurodevelopmental co-occurrence with DCD in adulthood.
Primary Author and Speaker: Miri Tal-Saban
Contributing Authors: Amanda Kirby
BACKGROUND: Individuals with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) are characterized with motor, psychological and social problems. DCD frequently co-occurs with other neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ADHD and ASD. Much of the previous research on managing social relationships with DCD has focused more on childhood and early adolescence, with the difficulties they may experience in socializing at these stages. However, social difficulties experienced by these people in childhood often persist into adulthood. Purpose: (1) To compare the reported experiences of adults with DCD only, DCD+ADHD, DCD+ASD, and DCD+ADHD+ASD, compared to typically developing adults, relating to socializing and friendships in the past (late adolescence) and currently (adulthood). (2) To more deeply understand the opportunities, strategies and support that adolescents and young adults with DCD need for more successful socializing.
DESIGN: The study design was experimental.
PARTICIPANTS: The study involved 212 young adults from the UK aged 18–40 years (mean age=22.37; SD=8.94; males: 34%). Participants were screened for DCD, ADHD, and ASD. They were then grouped as: (a) “DCD only,” 42 individuals (mean age=28.31; SD=11.72; males: 22%); (b) “DCD+ASD,” 21 individuals (mean age=24.25; SD=7.64; males: 38%); (c) “DCD+ADHD,” 45 individuals (mean age=28.27; SD=7.46; males: 42%); (d) “DCD+ASD+ADHD,” 29 individuals (mean age=30.48; SD=8.91; males: 21%); (e) Control (TD) group, 75 individuals (mean age=23.11; SD=6.76; males: 32%).
METHODS/INSTRUMENTS: The groups were screened by the Adolescents & Adults Coordination Questionnaire (AAC-Q; Tal-Saban et al., 2012), the short Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ; Allison et al., 2012), and the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS; Kessler et al., 2005). The groups were compared via the Socializing and Friendship Questionnaire (SAF-Q; Tal-Saban & Kirby, 2018). The SAF-Q has two parts: “past” (prior social experiences during adolescence) and “current ” (adult social experiences).
RESULTS: MANOVA was performed to assess differences in the SAF-Q scores. The results showed a statistically significant difference (F[8,257]=9.98; p < 0.001; η=0.162) between groups. Next, we used ANOVAs on the resulting statistical difference (p < 0.001) between groups in the two parts of the SAF-Q ( “past ” vs. “current”). To examine the source of this difference, the data from each part were subjected to Scheffé post-hoc analyses, which revealed significant differences in the SAF-Q “past” between the TD group and all study groups (p < 0.001). In the SAF-Q “current”, no difference was found between the DCD-only group and the TD group (p= NS), while differences were found between the TD group and all other groups (p < 0.05).
CONCLUSION: This is the first study considering social relationships in adults with DCD, compared to those with other common developmental disorders co-occurring with DCD. All study groups had significantly lower scores as adolescents, in comparison to the TD group. However, the fact that no differences emerged between the DCD-only group and the TD group as adults would suggest a unique contribution of different patterns of neurodevelopmental co-occurrence with DCD in social relationships and friendships in adulthood.
IMPACT: We may tentatively assume that the social difficulties of the DCD-only group might be explained by external factors that are mitigated in adulthood, such as lack of social opportunities and low social participation, rather than internal factors like lack of social skills.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Understand the uniqueness of social relationships among adolescents and adults with DCD and with co-occurrence. Recognize the need to address social activities during OT evaluations and interventions.
References
Gagnon-Roy, M., Jasmin, E., & Camden, C. (2016). Social participation and interventions supporting teenagers and young adults living with developmental coordination disorder (DCD): Results from a scoping review. Child: Care, Health and Development, 42, 840-851. doi.org/10.1111/cch.12389
Tal- Saban, M., & Kirby, A. (2019). Empathy, social relationship and co-occurrence in young adults with DCD. Human movement science, 63, 62-72. doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2018.11.005
