Exploring diagnosis of Developmental Coordination Disorder and Specific Developmental Disorder of Motor Function: a secondary data analysis using Connected Bradford

Background: Approximately 5% of children are affected by a neurodevelopmental disorder of their sensorimotor skills. DSM-V and ICD-10, the two most widely used classifications systems, define this diagnostically as either ‘Developmental Coordination Disorder’ (DCD) or ‘Specific Developmental Disorder of Motor Function’ (SDDMF, respectively). Being diagnosed with DCD/SDDMF has been found to have a detrimental impact on long-term health and education outcomes. Research repeatedly highlights parental dissatisfaction with the pathways for assessment and support of DCD/SDDMF, however, there has been a lack of research quantitatively exploring the diagnostic landscape. This study therefore aimed to evaluate the incidence of DCD/SDDMF in a diverse District (Bradford, UK) from 1950 -December 2024. Methods: Clinical codes related to sensorimotor skill assessments and diagnoses were searched for within the Connected Bradford dataset, which houses routinely collected primary and secondary healthcare data for over 800,000 residents. Results: There are 182,978 children currently in the Connected Bradford primary care records, suggesting there should be ~9149 children with a diagnosis (given estimated prevalence rates of 5%). But over 74 years of records available, there were only 152 recorded childhood diagnoses of SDDMF (the ICD-10 used in the UK and Europe for diagnosis). When exploring related diagnoses and findings there were 1037 cases (~14 per year), however this amount over 74 years is still nine times lower than would be expected within current childhood populations in Bradford. Moreover, there were low levels of recorded assessments and a lack of clarity regarding how children are being assessed. Conclusion: Diagnosis is the current pathway to accessing support across UK services, yet the current study highlights that children with DCD/SDDMF are not being diagnosed within Bradford. This likely reflects national and international challenges. Further research is needed to investigate the barriers and facilitators to assessing, diagnosing, and supporting children with DCD/SDDMF.