Developmental Coordination Disorder in Children

Speaker: 
Dr Jill Zwicker
Professor
Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
University of British Columbia

Dr. Jill Zwicker is a Professor in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of British Columbia and an Investigator at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, Canada. She holds a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Pediatric Brain Development and Rehabilitation and is one of the few occupational therapists worldwide with expertise in pediatric brain imaging. As an internationally recognised scholar for her work with children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD), Dr Zwicker’s research program aims to understand the potential causes of DCD better, to evaluate the effect of rehabilitation on motor skill and brain development, and to inform evidence-based care to improve outcomes for children with DCD.

Developmental Coordination Disorder: Current approaches to assessment, diagnosis, and treatment
This session will focus on the importance of diagnosing developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and describe the secondary and long-term consequences of this common but under-recognized neurodevelopmental disorder. Current international clinical practice guidelines for DCD will be reviewed, highlighting how physicians and therapists can work together to diagnose and treat children with DCD.

Objectives
• To describe the diagnostic criteria and secondary/long-term consequences of DCD
• To assess and diagnose DCD at different ages (preschool and school-age) and in the context of comorbidities (ADHD, ASD, prematurity)
• To implement management strategies and access resources for DCD