Developmental coordination disorder, commonly abbreviated to DCD, is a neurodevelopmental condition known as dyspraxia.
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Developmental coordination disorder
Developmental coordination disorder, commonly abbreviated to DCD, is a neurodevelopmental condition known as dyspraxia.
It predominantly affects the development of motor skills and functions in children. Developmental coordination disorder is fairly common, with nearly 6 percent of young people affected by the condition. In our latest article, we look deeper into developmental coordination disorders, the causes, signs, and symptoms to look out for in your child, and how they can be diagnosed and treated.
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What is developmental coordination disorder?
Developmental coordination disorder greatly affects a young child’s ability to move worldwide. This neurodevelopmental condition will often make them appear clumsy, or they mainly find certain movements more difficult than other children their age. This disorder will prevent or constrain the ability for some everyday tasks, like holding objects and walking.
Even though developmental coordination disorder is common in young children, most of the time, the condition goes entirely unnoticed and undiagnosed. This can be problematic, and untreated dyspraxia can lead to issues in adolescence and later adulthood.
What are the signs and symptoms of developmental coordination disorder?
As children grow, they learn several vital skills that will allow them to lead an independent adult life one day. These include fine and gross motor skills like picking things up, drawing, and using the muscles in their hands and feet. Our gross motor skills allow our bodies to make larger movements necessary for walking, crawling, and running. A child may start to show signs of struggle with executing these specific activities with ease, like most other children their age. This can be a sign of developmental coordination disorder. Read on below for more hints that a child is suffering from dyspraxia:
Poor penmanship
You may notice your child is behind with the quality of their handwriting compared to their peers. It might be messy and hard to read, or they might complain about struggling to hold and pen and write properly.
A struggle to balance and coordinate
Difficulty with balance and coordination is a key sign of a child suffering from developmental coordination disorder. This makes it harder for a child to play sports or catch a ball without feeling disoriented.
Vision issues
Developmental coordination disorder sufferers also struggle when it comes to their vision. Once again, they are likely to get disoriented easily and appear clumsy.
Trouble completing daily tasks
A child with a developmental coordination disorder could find it difficult to complete daily tasks that many children their age could easily complete. For example, tying shoelaces.
Signs of developmental coordination disorder by age
When considering if your child has a developmental coordination disorder, it is important to consider their age. Different symptoms show up at different times in a child’s life:
Preschool
A preschooler showing signs of early developmental coordination disorder might have trouble using utensils to eat, throwing and catching a ball, struggle to sit upright, and might appear clumsy, bumping into other children regularly.
Grades K-2
A child in grades K-2 showing signs of early developmental coordination disorder might struggle using a pencil or cutting with scissors, struggle using stairs, bump into others frequently and struggle with brushing their teeth.
Grades 3-7
A child in grades 3-7 showing signs of early developmental coordination disorder might struggle with writing quickly, cutting up their food, getting dressed on their own, and completing math problems.
Teen years
A teenager showing signs of early developmental coordination disorder might struggle with typing, texting, and complex math problems and might be held back in learning to drive a car.
Issues that might occur alongside developmental coordination disorder
Many children that suffer from developmental coordination disorder typically have another learning or thinking difference that coincides with it. Most commonly, this is the condition ADHD. Almost half of all children with dyspraxia also have ADHD. Other issues that often go hand in hand with developmental coordination disorder are anxiety, Dysgraphia, Autism, and sensory processing issues.
What causes developmental coordination disorder?
Sadly there is not an official or conclusive cause that has been identified as the main cause of developmental coordination disorder, despite many years of research into the condition. However, many theories have been linked with the cause of dyspraxia in young children.
One of these theories suggests that the cerebellum (the part of the brain that takes care of our balance and coordination) is to blame and is a common challenge for those with developmental coordination disorder. Another suggests a link between the difficulties of planning and completing motor tasks as a primary cause of developmental coordination disorder.
While there is no defined cause of dyspraxia, there are, however, certain risk factors that make the development of the condition more likely in a child. For example, premature birth and low weight at birth. Some research has theorized that exposure to steroids after birth can affect a child’s motor skills in the future.
Are boys or girls more likely to have developmental coordination disorder?
Evidence suggests that boys are more likely than girls to develop and struggle with the effects of developmental coordination disorder. It has been discovered that boys are 1.7 times more likely to develop the condition than girls.
Diagnosing developmental coordination disorder
As with all neurodevelopmental conditions, developmental coordination disorder requires the intervention of experts and professionals for a full diagnosis. The following criteria are used when diagnosing any child with developmental coordination disorder:
A delay in motor functions
A child with developmental coordination disorder should have trouble executing motor functions that allow them to easily complete basic tasks (like using cutlery). They will also struggle in sporting scenarios and perform to a lower standard than other children of that age.
An early display
Someone with developmental coordination disorder will typically display so very early in life. It will be evident from their toddler years that their daily life, school, and social life are affected.
Should not be confused with other disorders
Because other conditions often accompany developmental coordination disorder, great care should be taken to identify which disorder is at play. For example, establishing whether a child has ADHD, developmental coordination disorder, or just ADHD.
Treating developmental coordination disorder
While overtly, the clumsiness that accompanies children with developmental coordination disorder may not seem life-threatening, the condition can cause serious effects on a person in later life. Many people who develop developmental coordination disorder as a child struggle with obesity, hypermobility of the joints, and an array of mental health issues. This is why early spotting the disorder is vital so it can be treated and managed.
While the condition can never be eradicated through therapies or medication, it can be treated and managed so a child can lead a happy life both in the moment and through adulthood. This should also help to avoid any further health implications down the line. Read on below to discover common ways that developmental coordination disorder is treated and managed within children:
Task-based therapy
Task-based therapy focuses on sessions carrying out physical tasks that can help to improve the motor functions of those suffering from developmental coordination disorder. Within this therapy, a child may regularly be tasked with completing activities their condition means they struggle with. For example, cutting paper with scissors or writing. This aims to help improve the performance of these functions over time.
Process-oriented therapy
Process-oriented therapy differs from task-based therapy as it does not assign the child to complete specific tasks. Instead, it focuses on improving their motor skills in general. It is a more holistic approach than other therapies.
Physical therapy
One of the most prominent symptoms of any child with developmental coordination disorder is unsteadiness on their feet and a delay in performing tasks. Some experts will suggest a course of physical therapy that aims to manage these difficulties through unique exercise programs. These programs are designed to build core strength, improve a child’s balance and give them more strength overall. Physical therapy has significantly improved motion, coordination, and agility in children with dyspraxia.
Drugs and medication
On some occasions, medications like methylphenidate could be prescribed to a person with developmental coordination disorder, especially if they also have ADHD. This drug helps to improve a person’s concentration and could also assist with the performance of motor functions. This can greatly help to improve the quality of life for those struggling with the effects of dyspraxia and can even back the ability to complete easy daily tasks without assistance.
How to support a child who has developmental coordination disorder
If you discover that your child has a developmental coordination disorder, you feel at a loss for the best way to support them. You want to assist in improving their quality of life now and ensure they have the best chance of a normal adulthood, affected as little as possible. The first step you can take in supporting your child is reading through resources like this article to make yourself as informed as possible on the disorder. Understand the ins and outs of the condition to manage your expectations and be as informed as possible to support your child.
In terms of supporting your child with schooling, they may find it difficult to remain in an environment where their peers are ahead of them in many ways. Their current school may also be ill-equipped to support your child’s specific needs when it comes to developmental coordination disorder. In some cases, you may be eligible for support and special education. If you prove eligible, you will have the full support of a specific team that provides services and guidance to help guide your child through their learning while also accounting for their dyspraxia needs. This can allow a child to work at their own pace, not defined by other children who don’t have the disorder.
When it comes to helping your child at home, you will be their biggest support system as their parent. One of the primary ways you can give this support is to boost their self-esteem and make them feel included as much as possible in normal daily life. There may be points where your child feels conscious of their disorder, or like they don’t fit in because of it, this is especially like as they get older in their teen years. They may start to notice they are slightly different from their friends and develop issues with confidence and self-esteem. Always make sure to promote that this is what makes them so incredible, and they should have as much confidence in themself as anyone else. Try to find and share stories of successful people with motor function issues, so your child feels represented and has someone to look up to and feel validated on difficult days. Always try to encourage your child to be the best they can be. This means pursuing tasks that will help the development of their motor skills. Make sure to make them fun activities and get the whole family involved, so your child feels like they have a great support system built around them at all times.
