"Picture this from there": spatial perspective-taking in developmental visuospatial disorder and developmental coordination disorder

Camilla Orefice; Ramona Cardillo; Isabella Lonciari; Leonardo Zoccante; Irene C Mammarella

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1349851

"Picture this from there": spatial perspective-taking in developmental visuospatial disorder and developmental coordination disorder

Front Psychol. 2024 Apr 19:15:1349851. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1349851. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Camilla Orefice¹, Ramona Cardillo^{1

2}, Isabella Lonciari³, Leonardo Zoccante⁴, Irene C Mammarella¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
² Department of Women's and Children's Health, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
³ Division of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, University Pediatric Hospital "IRCCS Burlo Garofolo", Trieste, Italy.
⁴ Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maternal-Child Integrated Care Department, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, Verona, Italy.

Abstract

Introduction: Either Developmental Visuospatial Disorder (DVSD) and Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) present with difficulties in visuospatial processing, even though entailing different degrees of impairment. Among the visuospatial domain, spatial perspective taking is essential to interact with the environment and is significantly involved in many daily activities (e.g., environment navigation and spatial orienting). Notwithstanding, no previous studies have investigated this spatial domain in children with DVSD and limited evidence is available regarding DCD. Consistent with a transdiagnostic approach, the first goal of the present study was to compare spatial perspective taking abilities of these groups, also including a control group of not diagnosed peers (ND). Secondly, the role of different fine-motor and visuo-spatial predictors on the spatial perspective taking performance was considered.

Method: A total of 85 participants (DVSD = 26; DCD = 26; ND = 33), aged between 8 and 16 years old, were included in the study. Tasks assessing spatial perspective taking, fine-motor, visual imagery, and mental rotation skills, as well as visuo-spatial working memory were administered.

Results and discussion: Overall, our results confirmed weaknesses in spatial perspective taking in both clinical groups, with the DVSD obtaining the lowest scores. Similarities and differences in the predictors accounting for the performance in the spatial perspective taking task emerged, suggesting the possible employment of different fine-motor or visuospatial strategies by group. Findings are discussed considering the potential impact they may have both in research and clinical practice.

Keywords: developmental coordination disorder; developmental visuospatial disorder; fine-motor skills; visuospatial perspective-taking; visuospatial processing.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This research was co-funded by the Italian Complementary National Plan PNC-I.1 “Research initiatives for innovative technologies and pathways in the health and welfare sector” D.D. 931 of 06/06/2022, “DARE – DigitAl lifelong pRevEntion” initiative, code PNC0000002, CUP: B53C22006250001.