In a top-down approach in kids with DCD, what would we focus on?

• A. Skills and practice
• B. Cognitive motor approach with task orientation
• C. Task-oriented approach with motor learning
• D. Sensory integration therapy

Answer: (A)

In a top-down approach for kids with DCD, the focus is on what the child needs to do in daily life and improving those tasks through purposeful practice. This means identifying functional skills the child struggles with and drilling them in real-life or meaningful contexts, using strategies and feedback to help performance become more efficient and consistent. The idea is that by practicing the actual activities that matter most to the child, they learn how to perform them better across settings and over time.

So, the emphasis on practicing functional, goal-directed skills best captures this approach. While approaches that highlight cognitive planning or motor-learning principles can be valuable, top-down care centers on practicing functional tasks to boost participation. Sensory-based therapies, meanwhile, focus more on sensory processing and are not aligned with the top-down emphasis on task-specific skill practice.