A bio-ecological model for early screening of developmental coordination disorder.

The model was developed and tested only in Chinese samples, so it may not work the same in other populations or health systems. Possible DCD was defined by a parent questionnaire in the development sample, while the validation samples used clinical diagnosis, so the outcome was not measured the same way throughout. The model's discrimination was modest, especially in children aged 6 to 10 years, where the reported discrimination value was 0.58, sensitivity was 54.88% and specificity was 62.28%. The study did not test whether using the model in health records improves referral, diagnosis or child outcomes. The model does not distinguish DCD from autism spectrum disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and undetected comorbidities cannot be fully ruled out. Genetic predisposition, detailed environmental quality and early developmental milestones were not available as predictors.

Do not read this as a diagnostic test for DCD. The paper states the model is only a pre-screening tool to flag children for further assessment, and it does not replace professional diagnosis or structured motor assessment.