Mercê, CristianaCatela, DavidBranco, Marco A. C.2018-05-182018-05-182016Mercê, C., Catela, D., Vences-Brito, A., Branco, M. (2016). Karate training effect in balance control in children with developmental coordination disorder. Revista de Artes Marciales Asiáticas, 11:140 - 142.2174-0747http://hdl.handle.net/10400.15/2215The developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a motor disorder identified and recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which affects 6% of school-age children (Vaivre-Douret, 2014; Vaivre-Douret et al., 2011). DCD children reveal problems in their development of fine and/or global motor coordination, difficulty in the motor control and learning, and in the acquisition of new motor skills (Vaivre-Douret, 2014).These difficulties in motor control and learning are expressed in many ways, such as a delay in achieving motor milestones, clumsiness, poor balance, difficulties in writing and drawing (Chang & Yu, 2010), poor postural control (Geuze, 2005), and difficulties in space and temporal organization (Wilson & McKenzie, 1998). All of that affects the daily life of the children and, consequently, brings more problems and new difficulties such as academic delay or social isolation (Joshi et al., 2015; Vaivre-Douret, 2014) One of the most prevalent problems is the postural control deficit, affecting 73 to 87% of the DCD children (Macnab, Miller, & Polatajko, 2001). An early diagnosis accompanied by an early intervention may help to decrease the negative effects of DCD and provide a better life quality (Smits-Engelsman et al., 2013). The regular practice of martial arts such Karate and Taekwondo improve children motor skills, including postural control and balance abilities (Fong et al., 2014; Truszczyńska, Drzał-Grabiec, Snela, & Rachwal, 2015). These benefits are also present in children with DCD, recent studies revealed an improve in sensory organization and standing balance (Fong, Tsang, & Ng, 2012), and also an increase in isokinetic knee muscle strength at 180º and in static single-leg standing balance in DCD children undergo a 3 months of intensive taekwondo practice (Fong, Chung, Chow, Ma, & Tsang, 2013). Taking into account that one of the most prevalent problems in DCD children is the poor postural control, and that the intensive practice of taekwondo has proved to improve balance. We pretend to verify if regular and continuous karate practice also improve balance in DCD children.engdevelomental coordination disorderchildrenkaratecombat sportsbalance controlmartial artsjournal article10.18002/rama.v11i2s.4210