AbstractCurrent diagnostic scheduling views cerebral palsy (CP) and developmental coordination disorder (DCD) as dis-tinct disorders, though some hypothesise that the two lie on a continuum of motor impairment. We review recent evidence surrounding risk factors and underlying neurological mecha-nisms for both disorders, which we argue are central to clar-ifying this debate. Research highlights some common pre-, peri- and neo-natal risk factors for CP and DCD, indicating potential similarities in aetiology. Neurophysiological data, however, are conflicting. There is evidence of an overlap in micro- and macro-structural abnormalities only when DCD samples include children exposed to pre- and peri natal ad-versities, suggesting subgroups. There is a distinct lack of experimental work directly comparing children with DCD with and without exposure to pre- and peri-natal adversity, or children with CP and DCD. Hence, firm conclusions about the CP-DCD continuum debate cannot be drawn until neuro-imaging and experimental work to this end is conducted. KeywordsCerebral palsy. Developmental coordination disorder. Motor skill impairment.Preterm. Risk factors. Neural mechanisms