Validity and reliability of a Persian version of developmental coordination disorder questionnaire in 3-5 aged children

Introduction: Previous studies have emphasized the importance of early detection of children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) to prevent the development of secondary academic, emotional and social manifestations of the disorder. A better understanding of these issues is the need for a valid measurement tool. Parent report has the potential for providing historical knowledge of the child’s motor skills and perceptions of their children’s motor difficulties. So the aim of this study was to adapt and determination of validity and reliability of a Persian version of Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (L-DCDQ) in Iran to identify children at risk for DCD. Materials and Methods: Internal consistency, construct validity and concurrent validity of the L-DCDQ using a large sample (600) of children (3-5 years) and their parent were examined. To evaluate the concurrent validity scores on the L-DCDQ were compared to performance on the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2). Results: Internal consistency reliability for L-DCDQ was high (0.946). Explanatory and confirmatory factor analysis showed that the L-DCDQ was multi factorial and this version compatible with the original version of the L-DCDQ. Thus, three factors (fine motor, control during movement, general coordination) %74.22 of the total variance were explained. Also hypothesized factor structure for the sample under study was fitted well. Finally, high correlations were observed between the L-DCDQ with the TGMD-2 subscales: locomotion (0.883), object control (0.807). Conclusion: These results support the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the L-DCDQ as a screening instrument for identification of children at risk for DCD in Iran. Keywords: Developmental coordination disorder questionnaire, Validity, Reliability, Screening