# Understanding Developmental Coordination Disorder in Youth Functioning: Measurement Properties of the Spanish Adolescents and Adults Coordination Questionnaire

## TL;DR

This study evaluates a questionnaire for measuring coordination difficulties in Spanish youth and young adults, finding it reliable and valid for assessing developmental coordination disorder.

## Contribution

The first comprehensive validation of the Spanish version of the AAC-Q for assessing DCD-related functional difficulties in adolescents and young adults.

## Key findings

- The AAC-Q-ES showed a three-factor structure with strong psychometric properties.
- Age- and sex-specific normative percentile bands were established for clinical use.
- The questionnaire demonstrated high reliability and validity in both adolescents and young adults.

## Abstract

What are the main findings?

This study provides the first comprehensive psychometric evaluation of the AAC-Q-ES, a brief self-report tool assessing daily functional difficulties related to Criterion B of DCD.

The AAC-Q-ES demonstrated a robust three-factor structure, strong internal consistency, excellent test–retest reliability, and high criterion and construct validity, supporting its conceptual and statistical soundness for use in Spanish adolescents and young adults.

What are the implications of the main findings?

The use of validated instruments like the AAC-Q-ES enables precise detection of functional difficulties, promoting earlier recognition and tailored interventions for DCD in adolescents and young adults.

The establishment of age- and sex-specific normative percentile bands provides clinicians and researchers with a practical framework to guide diagnosis, monitor progress, and facilitate the assessment of DCD.

Background/Objectives: The Adolescent and Adult Coordination Questionnaire (AAC-Q) is a brief self-report tool developed to assess daily performance difficulties related to Criterion B of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) across adolescence and adulthood. Despite the AAC-Q’s clinical and research relevance, its psychometric properties have not yet been comprehensively evaluated. This study aimed to examine the structural, construct, and criterion validity, internal consistency, and test–retest reliability of the AAC-Q and to establish normative percentile bands for Spanish adolescents and young adults (AAC-Q-ES). Methods: A cross-sectional psychometric study was conducted in 800 typically developing participants (200 adolescents, 600 young adults). Measurement properties—including factor structure, internal consistency, test–retest reliability, construct validity, and criterion validity—were assessed following COSMIN guidelines. Percentile cut-offs were calculated for adolescents and young adults. Results: The AAC-Q-ES revealed a three-factor structure with excellent fit indices (CFI = 0.95–0.98; RMSEA = 0.060–0.067). Internal consistency was good (α = 0.76–0.83), and test–retest reliability was excellent (ICC = 0.90, p < 0.001). Criterion validity with the Adult DCD/Dyspraxia Checklist was very high in adults (r = 0.972, p < 0.001), and construct validity in adolescents was confirmed through moderate correlations with the Flamingo Balance Test (r = −0.352, p < 0.01). Age- and sex-specific percentile bands were established. Conclusions: The AAC-Q-ES is a psychometrically robust, culturally adapted, and efficient tool for assessing functional difficulties related to DCD in Spanish adolescents and young adults, facilitating both clinical and research applications.