Emotional and behavioral problems in Japanese preschool children with motor coordination difficulties: the role of autistic traits.

This study looked at over 1,000 Japanese preschoolers to understand why children with movement difficulties often have emotional and behavioral challenges. Researchers found that autistic traits explain much of this connection. Children who had both movement difficulties and autistic traits were much more likely to experience emotional problems, attention difficulties, and peer relationship issues compared to children with movement difficulties alone.

This Japanese cross-sectional study of 1,042 preschool children (ages 58-71 months) examined the relationship between motor coordination difficulties (probable DCD), emotional/behavioral problems, and autistic traits. Using validated questionnaires (LDCDQ, SDQ, SRS), researchers found that children with probable DCD showed increased emotional and behavioral difficulties across all domains. However, these associations became non-significant when autistic traits were included in the analysis, suggesting autistic traits mediate this relationship. Children with both probable DCD and higher autistic traits had dramatically increased odds for emotional problems (OR: 4.47), hyperactivity/inattention (OR: 3.74), peer problems (OR: 15.81), and total difficulties (OR: 28.78) compared to those with probable DCD alone.

Clinicians should screen for autistic traits in children presenting with motor coordination difficulties. Children with co-occurring DCD symptoms and autistic traits represent a high-risk group requiring comprehensive, multi-domain intervention approaches addressing motor, social, emotional, and behavioral needs.

Cross-sectional design prevents causal conclusions. Study limited to Japanese preschoolers, affecting generalizability. Reliance on parent-report questionnaires may introduce bias. Sample was community-based rather than clinically diagnosed.

There has been little research on whether younger children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) symptoms have an increased risk for emotional and behavioral problems. This study examined whether coordination difficulties are associated with emotional and behavioral problems (emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, peer problems, reduced prosocial behavior) in preschool children and the role of autistic traits in this association. Data (N = 1042, age 58-71 months) were analyzed from the Tama Children's Survey (TCS). The Little Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (LDCDQ) was used to measure coordination difficulty symptoms.

Information was obtained on emotional/behavioral problems using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and on autistic traits with the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Higher autistic traits were based on SRS cutoff scores (53.5 for boys and 52.5 for girls). Logistic regression analysis was used to assess associations between the variables. In adjusted models, children with probable DCD (pDCD) were significantly more likely to score above the clinical thresholds on all SDQ emotional/behavioral domains.

However, nearly all of these associations became nonsignificant after including autistic traits in the analysis. Additional analyses showed that children with pDCD with higher autistic traits had significantly increased odds for emotional problems (odds ratio [OR]: 4.47, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.52-13.19), hyperactivity/inattention (OR: 3.74, 95% CI: 1.45-9.64), peer problems (OR: 15.81, 95% CI: 5.96-41.99), and total difficulties (OR: 28.78, 95% CI: 7.23-114.57), compared to children with pDCD alone. These results indicate that the increased risk of emotional/behavioral difficulties in preschool children with pDCD might be mediated by autistic traits.