A Developmental Perspective of Coping with Stress: Potential for Developmental Coordination Disorder Research

Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that results in substantial difficulties in the learning and performance of coordinated motor skills that impacts children’s daily functioning in various life contexts. Increasing research indicates children with DCD likely experience stress in physical activity contexts, especially physical education, due to emphasis on their motor skills and their motor difficulties being visible to others. Choosing an appropriate theoretical framework to examine stress and coping processes can be difficult though because of a lack of consensus about how to conceptualize coping with stress, particularly with regard to children. This paper highlights an evolving body of work that can offer insight into the physical activity experiences of children with DCD. The main tenets of this perspective are cross-developmental and consider both personal and environmental factors that can be targeted to promote functioning and well-being. Understanding what children with DCD perceive as stressful in physical activity contexts and how they cope is important for informing interventions.