Brazilian research on the development of coordination development: A review in the light of bioecological theory

Abstract

Introduction: Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) present motor disorders that compromise their engagement in occupations. Objective: Adopting the Bioecological Theory of Human Development (BTHD) as a basis for examining the productions of DCD, this study aimed to identify and discuss the elements of the Process-Person-Context-Time model (PPCT) in the national scientific production about children with DCD. Method: The first phase of the study consisted of an integrative review of the national scientific literature on DCD in journals indexed in Virtual Health Library and SciELO, based on health descriptors. The second phase consisted of collating the elements of the PPCT model in the selected literature. Results: The sample, composed of 19 studies, showed a predominance of quantitative methodology and cross-sectional studies. Elements of the core Person were present in all searches. Motor performance was the central condition for the identification of DCD and correlation with other clinical, health and social variables. In the proximal processes, the family and school microsystem prevailed. In the core Time, the importance of diagnosis and early intervention, and specificities of normative life events of the child were highlighted. The review revealed the intense use of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC) as an instrument of identification and the importance of broader measures for the development of children with DCD. Conclusion: The analysis of research in the light of the bioecological theory made us think about important aspects of child development and there is a gap in the literature in relation to studies on DCD that contemplate the macrosystem with emphasis in the national health and education policies.