Also known as DCD (Developmental Coordination Disorder), dyspraxia is a neurological condition (Polatajko, 2005) that affects perhaps 6% of all children in some way (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Children with dyspraxia have a movement planning and coordination problem in which they do not have a typical sense of their bodies and what their bodies can do. Children with dyspraxia must ‘think before doing’ many tasks. Developmentally appropriate tasks that, once learned, should be easily repeated may appear new and difficult each time they are attempted. Some examples may be tying shoelaces, dressing in the proper sequence, using buttons and zippers, or playing games. Dyspraxia is a disorder in which movement and coordination is impaired, however it can affect many areas of a child’s development and functioning. Children with this disorder can have problems with body awareness, sense of space, processing visual information, eye-hand coordination and language. There are many other ways in which this condition can affect a child. Dyspraxia does not occur in the same way in all children. Specialists can specify symptoms and the related degree of impairment for each child. Due to the many areas of development and functioning that can be affected as well as the range of impairment—from mild to severe—is child with dyspraxia will have individualized needs. Some of the characteristics of children with dyspraxia are listed below. Please keep in mind that this is a limited list for illustration purposes only.
Children with dyspraxia may have difficulty with:
Other Conditions that Frequently Occur with Dyspraxia
Dyslexia (a reading disability) frequently occurs in children who also have dyspraxia. Other learning disabilities, particularly in math (dyscalculia) are not unusual. ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is often seen in children with dyspraxia as well. More rarely, children with this condition can also have Asperger’s Syndrome or other conditions that are from the family of Autistic Disorders. Some children with dyspraxia will not have all the symptoms of autism, but may have only some features. Additionally, some will have tactile defensiveness in which they are startled by touch. Others may have speech and language problems. The risk of developmental delays and academic problems can be high for children with multiple or severe symptoms of dyspraxia. Similarly, children with more than one of these types of disorders are at risk for delays in both development and education.
The Impact of Dyspraxia upon Children and Their Families
Children with dyspraxia will have many challenges at home, school and play. Consequently, parents, teachers, other caregivers, siblings and peers will be impacted. These children will require extra attention throughout the day and in multiple situations that are developmentally appropriate. A child with dyspraxia will often ask many questions--frequently the same question--as efforts are made to perform in school work, chores, recreation, hygiene and grooming. Parenting can be ‘labor intensive’ and stressful. Family life must accommodate the child’s multiple problems on a daily and continual basis if the disorder is severe enough. While some children will not appear to have dyspraxia until in only a few situations, many will have apparent and repeated problems. Families will often have to prepare these children for situations and events such as birthdays, having guests, holidays, outings and other typical but occasional events. Consequently, impairments can greatly affect the child’s self-image, self-esteem, relationships with family members, teachers, caregivers and peers. While children with dyspraxia are typically normal children otherwise, their planning, organizational and movement skills can be obvious enough to cause them ridicule from peers and siblings. Many times, children with this disorder will be considered ‘lazy’, ‘underachieving’ and not bright. Other children often find the child with dyspraxia to be disruptive to play and other age-appropriate activities as they may be unable ‘to keep up’. As a result, children with this disorder can be alienated, rejected and isolated. Feelings of depression, anxiety and low self-esteem are common. Children with dyspraxia often feel themselves to be ‘bad’ or not bright as they compare themselves to peers or interact with adults who supervise and instruct them.
Treatment Options
The treatment of dyspraxia can involve multiple approaches. Neurologists, occupational therapists, psychotherapists and educational specialists are some of the professionals that may be involved in treating the child with dyspraxia. Children with this disorder typically need assistance for educational delays, learning disabilities, movement planning, co-ordination development and emotional issues related to impairments. Treatment can involve therapeutic ‘play’ and ‘games’ such as in sensory integration therapy in which children use balls, swings, slides, other equipment and activities to improve coordination and related functioning. Treatment will seek to ‘retrain’ the ways in which the brain processes information needed to develop and use movement and motor skills more effectively as well as to help the child cope educationally and emotionally. Families need education about the disorder and ways to help the child cope and develop.
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association.
Cermak, S., & Larkin, D. (2001). Developmental Coordination Disorder. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.
Polatajko, H. (2005). Developmental coordination disorder (dyspraxia): an overview of the state of the art. Seminars in Pediatric Neurology. Vol.12:4 , 250-258.