Language, Speech, and Oral Motor Performance in Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Systematic Review.
Anna Fäldt, Evelien D'haeseleer, Amy De Roubaix
PMID 40888038WHAT IT FOUND
Children with developmental coordination disorder often have subtle speech and oral motor deficits that standard articulation tests miss.
Look for slower articulation and breakdowns during complex speech tasks, not just isolated sound errors.
Key findings
01Children with DCD showed significantly poorer global and focal oral motor production compared to age expectations.
02Standardised articulation tests often showed average performance, masking subtle difficulties that emerged only during complex or fast speech tasks.
03Children with DCD had significantly higher odds of difficulties with oral expression and language comprehension compared to peers.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Only 14 studies were included, and they used heterogeneous standardised instruments, which prevents definitive conclusions. The review excluded subjective parent and clinical reports, potentially missing functional communication difficulties that standardised tests do not capture. Study quality was moderate overall, with an average rating of 70% and three studies rated as low quality. Most studies were cross-sectional, so the review cannot determine how these difficulties change over time. Sample overlap between some studies may have inflated the apparent amount of independent evidence.
Declared interests
The authors report no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume a child with DCD has typical speech and language abilities because their standardised articulation or language scores fall within the average range. The review found that significant oral motor and complex speech deficits often exist despite average test scores, meaning standard screens can produce false reassurance.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →