Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is the formal diagnosis.
📎It is a neurological disorder affecting physical coordination.
📎It is not related to intelligence but can affect cognitive skills.
📌It seems to be more common in boys than girls.
📌Sometimes children with DCD can be mistaken as being ‘clumsy’.
📌It affects fine motors skills – writing, colouring, buttoning shirts, using scissors, tying laces.
📌It affects gross motor skills – climbing, throwing, catching, running, riding a bike.
📌It affects motor planning – the thinking behind movements we make eg brushing teeth, washing hands etc.
📌Hand-eye coordination can be off.
📌It affects balance.
Some other symptoms:
✏️Struggle organising thoughts.
✏️Poor sense of direction, poor posture, sensitive to touch.
✏️Fatigue
✏️Speech and language problems.
✏️Delays on motor skills at home and in school.
There is no cure for DCD, but many therapies can help such as:
- Occupational Therapy
- Physiotherapy
- Speech & Language Therapy
- Active play is very important
- Adapting tasks such as breaking down tasks into simple step by step instructions, using special pencil grips,
- Movement breaks in school.
- Access to support in school – support teacher.
- Access to SNA if ‘significant care’ is needed.
For more information and the process for diagnosis, visit: