Children with traits of developmental coordination disorder (DCD-t) may experience occupational performance problems that go unrecognized and therefore may not be adequately supported. The cognitive orientation to daily occupational performance (CO-OP) approach has been effective in interventions for developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Based on an open-label, randomized controlled trial design, this study evaluated the effects of CO-OP on the occupational performance and motor skills of older kindergarten children with DCD-t using the School Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (S-AMPS) and the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition. Children with a total DCDQ score of less than 40 or M-ABC2 scores in the 5th to 16th percentile were considered to have DCD-t. Furthermore, children with DCD-t and S-AMPS process skills less than 0.7 were considered to have DAMP (Deficits in Attention, Motor control and Perception)-t. After 3 months of CO-OP intervention, the performance and motor skills of children with DCD-t improved significantly. However, there were no significant changes noted in the motor skills of children with DAMP-t, although their occupational performance improved. These results suggest that CO-OP is effective even for older kindergarten children with DCD-t. However, further improvement of the CO-OP approach or a different strategy is required for children with ADHD comorbidity.

Background: Motor skills have been linked to executive functions (EFs) in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). However, the traits of other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder, remain overlooked. Therefore, this study explored the association between motor skills, occupational performance, and mental health in older kindergarten children with DCD and other NDDs. Overall, 95 participants aged 5–6 years were included in this study and divided into four groups: DCD traits (DCD-t), DCD-t + NDD traits (DCD-t + NDD-t), NDD-t-only, and typically developing children. Motor skills, EFs, and mental health were assessed using the DCD Questionnaire (DCDQ-J) and Movement Assessment Battery for Children—Second Edition, School Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (S-AMPS), and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), respectively. The DCD-t + NDD-t group exhibited a strong correlation between the S-AMPS motor skill score and the DCDQ-J fine motor skill score (r = 0.88, p < 0.001) and between the total DCDQ-J score and the SDQ Total Difficulties Score (r = −0.94, p < 0.001). The findings indicate that children with DCD-t and NDD-t are more likely to experience EF and mental health problems than those with DCD-t only.

Background/Objectives: Since the Act for Eliminating Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities was enacted in 2016, the number of students with disabilities in higher education institutions has increased significantly, creating a greater need for support. Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) often coexists with other neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and reading and writing difficulties; yet, awareness of DCD remains low. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of DCD traits among Japanese higher education students and their relationship with ADHD, ASD, and reading and writing support needs Methods: A pilot study was conducted with 77 university students (mean age: 19.17 ± 0.68) in the Kansai region, using the Adolescents and Adults Coordination Questionnaire (AAC-Q) to screen for DCD traits, along with a questionnaire assessing difficulties related to ADHD and ASD, and a survey on reading and writing support needs. Results: The study found that 12.9% of students scored more than 1 standard deviation above the mean on the AAC-Q. Students in the DCD trait group (n = 10) reported greater difficulties related to ADHD and ASD than those in the non-DCD group (n = 67). Correlation analysis revealed a moderate-to-strong association between AAC-Q scores and difficulties related to ADHD and ASD among students in the DCD trait group. Conclusions: This study suggests the need to raise awareness about DCD traits and to provide comprehensive support for students with ADHD and ASD in Japanese higher education institutions.

Background/Objectives: Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) commonly co-occurs with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and specific learning disorder (SLD), affecting academics, mental health, and lifestyle. Although screeners such as the Adolescents and Adults Coordination Questionnaire (AAC-Q) are widely used elsewhere, recognition and support for DCD in Japan remain limited. This study examined associations among DCD traits, ADHD/ASD-related difficulties, learning difficulties, mental health difficulties, and lifestyle factors in university students. Methods: We conducted a web-based survey of 16,295 students; responses from 527 were analyzed. The instruments used for the analysis included the AAC-Q, short forms of ADHD and ASD Difficulty Scales, the 7-item Learning Difficulty Scale for Postsecondary Students and 10-item Scale for Childhood Learning Difficulties, and the University Personality Inventory (UPI). Nonparametric and Spearman’s rank correlations were performed. Results: DCD traits were observed at 7.4% (AAC-Q ≥ 32). This is a screen-positive proportion only. AAC-Q scores correlated strongly with ADHD difficulties (r = 0.65), moderately to strongly with ASD difficulties (r = 0.55), and moderately with mental health difficulties measured by the UPI (r = 0.41). Conclusions: These findings suggest that identifying DCD traits at university entry may be associated with greater student self-understanding and improved access to appropriate support. They support targeted DCD screening alongside ADHD/ASD screening at university entry, rather than universal screening.

Background/Objectives: People often engage in small, repetitive movements—or “fidgeting”—while listening. This behavior has traditionally been regarded as a sign of inattention. However, recent perspectives suggest that these movements may support engagement and arousal regulation. Yet, little is known about how different types of fidgeting affect the allocation of cognitive resources during auditory processing. This study examined whether hand and leg fidgeting influence pupil-linked arousal and auditory task performance. Methods: Young, healthy adults aged 18–26 years completed four auditory processing tasks while performing either hand fidgeting (manipulating a small fidget toy) or leg fidgeting (very light ergometer pedaling). A control group did not fidget. Pupil-linked arousal was assessed using changes in pupil diameter, and listening performance was evaluated across tasks of varying difficulty. Results: Both forms of fidgeting caused pupil dilation compared to the control group, particularly in the case of Hand Fidgeting during the listening task with speech in noise and the fast speech task. Despite these physiological changes, there were no measurable differences in auditory task performance across conditions. Conclusions: Fidgeting modulates pupil-linked arousal without impairing auditory processing in young, healthy adults. Hand fidgeting may help sustain engagement during demanding listening tasks. However, because the fidgeting was intentional and task performance approached ceiling or floor levels, these findings should be interpreted as preliminary. Future studies should examine whether fidgeting supports arousal maintenance or listening performance in individuals with attentional vulnerabilities or auditory processing difficulties.