Dyspraxia or Developmental Coordination Disorder
Dyspraxia, also known as Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD), is a common disorder that affects movement and co-ordination.
The DSM V Diagnostic Criteria for Developmental Co-Ordination Disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
Some children can have a delay in the development of, or difficulty co-ordinating motor skills and daily tasks like writing, managing buttons, using playground equipment, school tools like rulers and scissors, negotiating obstacles and tying shoelaces. They can often be described as clumsy and struggle to sequence and remember tasks in order. The Occupational Therapist can help by assessing the child’s motor function and movement co-ordination with gross and fine motor tasks. An analysis of their skills will help to identify their unique strengths and weaknesses and create therapy programs and activity ideas to develop their praxis/ motor planning skills.
Diagnostic Criteria
A. Motor performance that is substantially below expected levels, given the person’s chronologic age and previous opportunities for skill acquisition. The poor motor performance may manifest as co-ordination problems, poor balance, clumsiness, dropping or bumping into things; marked delays in achieving developmental motor milestones (e.g., walking, crawling, sitting) or in the acquisition of basic motor skills (e.g., catching, throwing, kicking, running, jumping, hopping, cutting, colouring, printing, writing).
B. The disturbance in Criterion A, without accommodations, significantly and persistently interferes with activities of daily living or academic achievement.
C. Onset of symptoms is in the early developmental period.
D. The motor skill deficits are not better explained by intellectual disability (Intellectual Development Disorder) or visual impairment and are not attributable to a neurological condition affecting movement (e.g., cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, degenerative disorder).
The disturbance is not due to a general medical condition (e.g., cerebral palsy, hemiplegia, or muscular dystrophy).
How do we do the assessment?
- Assessment by a Neurodevelopmental Paediatrician.
- Movement Assessment Battery for Children (ABC) by an Occupational therapist
- Multidisciplinary meeting.
- Feedback
- Support
How is our assessment different?
- Multidisciplinary
- Ongoing support
- Working with the NHS & Education
- Follow up
What does it mean to have a diagnosis?
- Better understanding of your child’s problems
- Access appropriate support
- Reduce the stress experienced by both parents and children with DCD
- Your child will have additional time in examinations
- Help in self-image and confidence
- Working with the NHS & Education
