Procedural Learning in Children With Developmental Coordination, Reading, and Attention Disorders

J Child Neurol. 2015 Oct;30(11):1496-506. doi: 10.1177/0883073815572227. Epub 2015 Mar 2.

Abstract

The aim is to assess repetition-based learning of procedures in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD), reading disorder (RD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Participants included 187 children, studied in 4 groups: (a) DCD comorbid with RD and ADHD (DCD+RD+ADHD) (n = 30); (b) RD comorbid with ADHD (RD+ADHD) (n = 48); (c) ADHD (n = 19); and typically developing children (control group) (n = 90). Two procedural learning tasks were used: Assembly learning and Mirror drawing. Children were tested on 4 occasions for each task: 3 trials were consecutive and the fourth trial was performed after an interference task. Task performance by DCD+RD+ADHD children improved with training (P < .05); however, the improvement was significantly lower than that achieved by the other groups (RD+ADHD, ADHD and controls) (P < .05). In conclusion, children with DCD+RD+ADHD improve in their use of cognitive-motor procedures over a short training period. Aims of intervention in DCD+RD+ADHD should be based on individual learning abilities.

Keywords: attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; developmental coordination disorder; learning through repetition; motor skills; procedural memory.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / epidemiology
  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / psychology*
  • Child
  • Comorbidity
  • Dyslexia / epidemiology
  • Dyslexia / psychology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Learning*
  • Male
  • Motor Skills Disorders / epidemiology
  • Motor Skills Disorders / psychology*
  • Motor Skills*
  • Psychological Tests