BACKGROUND
Standardized motor batteries are widely used to assess motor competence in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD), although it remains unclear whether they consistently capture the domains most affected by the disorder.
AIMS
This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine the motor competence domains in which children and adolescents with DCD differ from their typically developing (TD) peers, as assessed through standardized motor batteries.
METHODS AND PROCEDURES
A systematic search was conducted in four databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus) up to November 12, 2025. Methodological quality was evaluated using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.
OUTCOMES AND RESULTS
Thirty studies were included, comprising 3934 participants (1663 DCD groups and 2271 TD peers). Most studies used the MABC, with eight using the MABC-1 and 18 the MABC-2; two the TGMD-2, one the BOTMP, and one the KTK. Overall, children with DCD consistently demonstrated lower motor skills across all domains. However, the relative pattern of impairment across the various subdomains was not consistent, particularly in the MABC. Meta-analytic findings indicated that manual dexterity was relatively more affected in the MABC-1, whereas aiming and catching emerged as the relatively more affected domain in the MABC-2, in both DCD and TD groups.
CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS
These findings suggest that standardized motor batteries are useful for operationalizing Criterion A, but their results should be interpreted cautiously and within a broader clinical and functional framework rather than as sufficient markers in isolation.
N. Blanco-Martínez, L. Delgado-Lobete, Carlos Ayán-Pérez et al.· Research in Developmental Di...· 0 citations
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is frequently associated with motor difficulties that may affect daily functioning, participation in physical activity, and developmental outcomes. Although motor impairments have been widely reported in this population, comparative evidence against typically developing (TD) peers remains fragmented across studies and assessment tools. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine whether children and adolescents with ASD show lower motor competence than TD peers and to identify the most affected motor domains. A systematic search was conducted in Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and SPORTDiscus up to December 10, 2025. Studies were eligible if they included children or adolescents with ASD and TD controls and assessed motor competence using standardized instruments. A total of 42 studies involving 3142 participants were included. The most frequently used tools were the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, and the Test of Gross Motor Development. Across studies, children and adolescents with ASD consistently showed poorer performance than TD peers in manual dexterity, aiming and catching, balance, locomotor skills, and object control. Meta-analytic findings also indicated that participants with ASD had greater odds of presenting motor difficulty and being classified within the at-risk range. Despite heterogeneity and methodological limitations, the overall evidence supports a broad pattern of lower motor competence in ASD. These findings reinforce the importance of early motor assessment and targeted intervention in clinical and educational contexts.
N. Blanco-Martínez, D. González-Devesa, Silvia Varela et al.· Autism Research· 0 citations
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