Kinesiology Hosts 8th Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) International Conference

A collection of students and faculty members from the Department of Kinesiology recently co-hosted the 8th Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) International Conference in collaboration with the University of Maryland School of Medicine. The event, which took place in Baltimore, Md. from June 23 to 26, brought together researchers from 24 countries and five continents and marked the first time the conference was held in the United States.

The event, co-organized by department chair Dr. Jane Clark featured lectures and tutorials on a variety of DCD topics, several collaborative cafes, poster presentations and a banquet in historic Westminster Hall.

While mostly centered around the work of researchers and therapists, the conference invited local parents of children with DCD and offered presentations centered around the challenges that the DCD presents for parents and children, including interventions that might help children lead a more normal life and the possible genetics behind the disorder.

"They actually helped us decide on the topics for the day," Dr. Clark said in an official statement. Dr. Clark also runs a support group for parents in College Park, Md.

DCD is a childhood disorder marked by poor coordination and clumsiness and impacts roughly 6% of school-age children, according to the NIH. While awareness about the disorder is considered high in the United Kingdom, Canada and many other countries, more education is needed in the United States to raise awareness about this condition.

In a statement, keynote speaker Dr. Cheryl Missiuna from McMaster University in Canada said, "We talk about it as one child in every classroom, so roughly 5% of children have DCD. And it's not just being low in athletic activity. It's struggling with many everyday activities. Our goal [with this conference] is to raise awareness of people with DCD, particularly in the United States, but also all over the world."

Dr. Missiuna continues, saying "Because we're seeing a lot of secondary issues in children who aren't diagnosed or given intervention. When we don't address some of the motor skills issues or help these children participate better in their environments at school, the playground or even at home, then we start to see mental health issues like depression and anxiety, as well as physical health issues such as obesity."

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For more information about the conference, please click this link. Thanks to Dr. Jane Clark for her help in creating this post.