What is Dyspraxia/Developmental Co-ordination Disorder?
Dyspraxia, also known as Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD), is a condition that affects physical movement and coordination. DCD affects how the brain processes and coordinates physical actions. Children may appear ‘clumsy’ as they can find certain tasks that involve using their gross and/or fine motor skills more challenging. Dyspraxia can also affect the cognitive processes for planning and executing tasks. It is estimated that around 5-6% of children have dyspraxia, though the level of difficulty can vary widely.
Signs of Dyspraxia
Dyspraxia can look different from child to child but may include difficulties with one or more of the below areas.
- Motor difficulties: Trouble with gross motor skills, balance, riding a bike, bumping into objects, playing sports, handwriting or slow movements.
- Fine motor difficulties: May find tasks like using cutlery, buttoning clothing, tying shoelaces, drawing or cutting with scissors difficult.
- Planning and organisation: Children may find it difficult to sequence steps in a task, such as getting dressed in the right order, remembering instructions or managing time effectively.
- Speech and language: Some children with DCD can experience speech difficulties, such as unclear articulation or trouble with word order.
- Emotional and social impact: Difficulties with other areas can sometimes lead to frustration, low self-esteem, anxiety and can impact confidence. Children may also feel they need more adult help for some of these tasks, which can affect their independence, motivation and self-esteem.
Supporting your child with dyspraxia at home
The best way to support your child at home is to take the time to really understand what it is that they are finding tricky and then exploring and trialling different ways or strategies that could support them. Every child is so unique, and it may take some time to find a strategy that really works for them. So just keep exploring and communicating.
With the right understanding, patience, and finding adaptive strategies to support – both at home and in school – children with dyspraxia can develop successful strategies to help overcome their personal challenges.
Here are some practical ways that you could use as a starting point to try.
Creating a Supportive Environment
- Time to talk and share: If your child is of a suitable age, make sure to give them time to express their feelings and frustrations. Ask them what they find tricky, and how they would like your help.
- Positive reinforcement – Finding daily tasks tricky can be really hard, so celebrate achievements and share their successes to help boost confidence whenever possible.
- Build routines and structures – Children with dyspraxia often find comfort in predictable routines that they can practice over and over again. Try to keep daily tasks like getting dressed, packing school bags or mealtimes, in a regular and consistent order.
- Encourage, support and allow more time – Children may take longer to complete some activities, such as tying shoelaces, writing or using cutlery. Allow extra time, be patient, don’t rush them and let them achieve things in their own time. It is not from a lack of effort or motivation that they are finding these things more challenging. Celebrate the effort – even if things do go a little wrong!
Practical Strategies for Tasks
- Break tasks into smaller steps – Longer, more abstract tasks, such as ‘get ready for school’ can be tricky. This requires them to remember all the stages, put them in order, and carry them out in the right way. Help them to remember all the parts by breaking these down into the smaller steps with simple, direct language (verbally and/or visually).
- Visual aids – Having a visual prompt or reminder for each stage of a task can be really helpful and support memory. You might use visual timetables for events through the day or picture checklists for tasks such as getting dressed for the day. Break down all the small steps needed, such as take-off pyjamas, put on pants, trousers, top, socks. Use a picture symbol so children can follow the routine and develop their independence.
Practice and Tools
- Practice fine and gross motor skills in play – Try to build in fun ways to develop these valuable skills through play so that children don’t feel they are being made to ‘practise’ too much. For example, colouring together, drawing pictures for family members, playing with building blocks, family dancing or playing ball games.
- Use tools and adaptations – Test and try out different tools/strategies that might help, for example Velcro instead of shoelaces, pencil grips, adapted cutlery, etc. These might help to reduce frustration and allow children more independence in these activities.
Support Network and Community
- Your family – Be open and share with your wider family about the strategies that help your child. Help them to use these strategies too, such as being simple and clear with language/requests.
- Other professionals – For some young people with dyspraxia, they may get support from an occupational therapist or physiotherapist. These professionals might offer support with environmental adaptations or by suggesting specific programmes. Ask for advice and support, if you think you need more help.
Support at School
Consistency between home and school makes a big difference. When children have strategies they can use in both environments, they get more practice at using them. These strategies then become part of their personal toolkit.
You might want to ask for a time to speak with your child’s school about any of your thoughts or concerns. You can share what you notice or observe at home and the strategies that have been working. Ask for their ideas too, as there might be something new you could test out.
Schools will be able to offer similar strategies to those that work at home, such as more time for tasks, different or adapted resources (pencil grips, scissors etc), visual timetables, checklists, frequent rest breaks, and breaking down tasks into smaller steps.
Useful Resources and Tools
You don’t need to navigate this journey alone and there is a growing number of organisations, online communities and tools created to support children and their families.
Here are just a few suggestions:
- NHS website: There is some useful information on the NHS website about Dyspraxia and the support you can expect from your GP.
- Movement Matters: The UK umbrella organisation representing the major national groups concerned with children and adults with dyspraxia. The website has documents and videos aimed at parents, teachers and employers of people with dyspraxia.
- Online Communities: Connecting with other parents can be incredibly reassuring and helpful. Online forums and social media groups offer a space to share experiences, tips and encouragements.
- Books: There are lots of books that have been written to support children with understanding their dyspraxia and learning about what that might mean for them. Depending on their age of course for when you would introduce this and discuss with them. These can be a great tool to support discussions at home.
- Local support groups: You can reach out within your community for support groups to meet other local families. The Local Authority Local Offer website can be a great place to look for more information and groups.
A final thought
Understanding dyspraxia and what this means for your unique child is the first step in being able to offer the right support. There are many different strategies you can explore, try out and tweak. When you find those that work, you can help your child to be as independent as possible. Everyone’s journey will be unique. Try to celebrate the victories along the way. The most important things to remember are that your love, understanding, patience and encouragement will be some of the best strategies to help.
This article has been written by TTS in-house expert, Catherine Jewkes
Catherine is a former teacher, senior leader and qualified SENCo, having taught across many different year groups from Nursery to Year 6. She has also worked for a Local Authority leading and supporting a locality of over 70 mainstream and specialist settings from nurseries through to colleges, helping to develop and implement provision for their learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
