Dyspraxia
What is it?
Dyspraxia (also known as Developmental Coordination Disorder) is a condition that affects physical coordination, planning, and organisation of movements.
People with dyspraxia may: - Have difficulty with coordination and balance - Struggle with fine motor skills like handwriting - Have difficulty planning and organising tasks - Take longer to get dressed or learn new physical skills - Have speech difficulties
People with dyspraxia often also find it hard to:
- quickly recall words
- follow directions that are given in large chunks instead of step by step
This means that they will struggle in school. Dyspraxia often co-occurs with other difficulties such as ADHD or dyspraxia.
It is also possible for a person with autism to have dyspraxia.
What to look out for
Dyspraxia is a hidden disability and cannot be reliably determined without a set of assessments performed by a certified assessor. However, many of the signs below may indicate dyspraxia. And even if the person is not dyspraxia, they can still benefit from the same strategies.
Look out for:
- Clumsy movements
- Difficulty with handwriting
- Problems with balance
- Difficulty organising thoughts
- Speech that is hard to understand
- Dropping things frequently
- Bumping into furniture
What to do
Provide uncluttered environment, Allow extra time for physical tasks, Use flowcharts for task sequences.
Other strategies include:
- Provide uncluttered environment
- Allow extra time for physical tasks
- Use flowcharts for task sequences
- Reduce the need to carry multiple items
- Provide armrests for support
- Use trays to organise work
- Extra training on equipment
Related strategies
Who can help
Contact your local SEN specialist or disability support services for more information and support.