Deficits in attention, motor control and perception (DAMP): a simplified school entry examination

Abstract

Objective: To suggest an empirically based school entry screening examination for the detection of deficits in attention, motor control and perception (DAMP) in 6‐y‐old children. Material and methods: A population‐based cohort of 113 children, 6‐7 y of age (62 with and 51 without DAMP), compared on measures of attention, motor functions, language and cognition. Results: Attention deficits were convincingly identified by both parents and paediatrician. The motor function tests clearly distinguished between the two groups. Linguistic and meta‐linguistic tests demonstrated greater phonological processing difficulties in the DAMP group. The cognitive test revealed an overall lower IQ but no consistent characteristic pattern in the DAMP group.Conclusions: A simplified paediatric school entry examination test is suggested. Four motor tests (standing on one foot, Fog test, design copying and diadochokinesis) administered by the paediatrician, combined with a brief structured clinical observation and a structured parent interview, identified 80% of children with DAMP–and all those with severe DAMP–as well as a small number of false positives.