Personality Assessments for Developmental Coord Disorder (DCD) at Cadabams CDC
This guide explains how personality assessments for developmental coordination disorder uncover the emotional, social and attention patterns that often hide behind clumsiness. You’ll learn which tests we use, how long it takes, what reports look like, and how results shape therapy goals.
WHO SHOULD READ THIS
- Parents who notice frequent tripping, poor handwriting, or playground avoidance in 4- to 12-year-olds.
- Families already given a DCD diagnosis but still asking “why is my child so anxious?”
- Teachers looking for evidence-based accommodation ideas.
WHAT IS DEVELOPMENTAL COORDINATION DISORDER?
Definition and Prevalence Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a chronic motor skill deficit that affects 5–6% of school-age children. Intelligence is average or above, yet everyday actions—buttoning, cycling, using scissors—feel uphill.
How DCD Differs From Other Disorders Unlike cerebral palsy, there is no medical muscle damage. Unlike ADHD, the core problem is not inattention but motor planning. Still, 50% of children with DCD meet criteria for at least one additional condition.
Key Symptoms to Watch For
- Late crawling or walking
- Sloppy eating, frequent spills
- Avoidance of PE or drawing tasks
- Emotional meltdowns before sports day
- Poor organisational skills (losing water bottles, messy cubbies)
WHY PERSONALITY ASSESSMENTS MATTER FOR DCD
Beyond Motor Skills: Emotional & Behavioral Impact Repeated failure experiences can breed low self-worth, perfectionism, or social withdrawal. Personality inventories flag these patterns early so therapy targets confidence as well as coordination.
Identifying Co-Occurring Conditions Questionnaires such as the Conners-3 or BASC-3 pick up ADHD, anxiety, and autism traits that share symptom space with DCD. Knowing the mix prevents “one-size-fits-all” intervention.
Building a Holistic Treatment Plan Results let our multidisciplinary team pair occupational therapy with CBT-based self-talk training, social-skills groups, or attention coaching—whichever the profile indicates.
TYPES OF PERSONALITY & DEVELOPMENTAL TESTS WE OFFER
Standardized Motor Skill Tests (BOT-2, MABC-2)
- Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, 2nd ed. (BOT-2) – fine & gross motor age equivalents
- Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2) – identifies DCD risk percentile
Personality & Temperament Inventories
- Junior Temperament and Character Inventory (JTCI) – novelty seeking, harm avoidance
- Big Five for Children – quick snapshot of agreeableness, emotional stability
- Beck Youth Inventories – self-reported anxiety & depression levels
Executive Function & Attention Scales
- Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF-2) – plan/organise, shift, emotional control
- Conners-3 – inattention, hyperactivity, learning problems
Parent-Teacher Questionnaires Sensory Processing Measure, Social Responsiveness Scale, and customized school checklists add real-world context to clinic scores.
STEP-BY-STEP ASSESSMENT PROCESS
Initial Consultation & Screening A 45-minute parent interview reviews pregnancy, milestones, family dynamics, and current challenges. We provide digital questionnaires to parents and class teachers.
Comprehensive Evaluation Session On test day, your child joins our playful motor lab for 90 minutes. Short game-like tasks keep fatigue low; sensory breaks include trampoline or Lego time. Personality inventories are offered both digitally and orally, depending on reading level.
Feedback & Report Delivery Within 7 working days, parents receive a 10-page report: standard scores, percentiles, clinical observations, classroom tips, and therapy goals explained in plain language. A 30-minute Zoom or face-to-face feedback meeting answers every question.
Next Steps & Referrals If results confirm DCD plus emotional needs, we coordinate:
- 1:1 occupational therapy
- Pediatric physiotherapy for core strength
- Child psychologist sessions for anxiety or self-esteem
- School meeting to draft 504/IEP accommodations
COMPARING POPULAR DCD ASSESSMENT TOOLS
| Tool | Age Range | Core Focus | Pros | Watch-outs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MABC-2 | 3–16 yrs | Motor skill percentile | Quick, fun, internationally recognised | Less detail on fine-motor sub-tests |
| BOT-2 | 4–21 yrs | Fine & gross motor composites | Deep item break-down, great for progress monitoring | Longer; child must cooperate for 60 min |
| JTCI | 7–14 yrs | Personality dimensions | Links traits to evidence-based therapy modules | Needs fluent reading unless clinician reads aloud |
| BRIEF-2 | 5–18 yrs | Executive function | Captures “invisible” organisational struggles | Can over-flag if rater is tired |
BENEFITS OF EARLY & ACCURATE PERSONALITY PROFILING
Improved Therapy Outcomes When we know a child is high in “harm avoidance,” we weave graded exposure into motor tasks—reducing drop-outs by 30% in our 2023 audit.
Tailored School Accommodations Reports cite exact furniture heights, keyboarding options, and PE alternatives, cutting homework time battles for 8 out of 10 families.
Enhanced Self-Esteem Children see their profile framed as “brain strengths & stretches,” shifting language from “clumsy” to “cautious innovator who needs extra motor practice.”