DCD/Dyspraxia
DCD (Developmental Coordination Disorder), commonly known as dyspraxia, is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects the way the brain plans, organises, and executes movement. It is one of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions in childhood, affecting approximately 5–6% of school-age children, and one of the most frequently misunderstood.
Children and young people with DCD are not clumsy because they are careless or not trying. They are working harder than their peers at every physical task, every single day.
How DCD/Dyspraxia Can Affect Daily Life
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Difficulty learning new motor skills: tasks that other children/young people pick up quickly require extensive practice.
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Poor handwriting: slow, effortful, and difficult to read despite significant effort.
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Difficulties with dressing, tying laces, using cutlery, and other self-care tasks.
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Physical awkwardness: bumping into things, difficulty with ball sports, low confidence in PE.
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Fatigue: the physical and cognitive effort required to manage everyday tasks leaves children/young people exhausted.
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Emotional impact: low self-esteem, anxiety about physical activities, and frustration are common.
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Assessment
A thorough Occupational Therapy Assessment is the starting point for all children and young people referred to us with motor coordination concerns. We use standardised tools including the MABC-2 and Developmental Profile-3, alongside Ayres Clinical Observations and functional task assessment, to build a complete picture of how a child/young person’s motor system is functioning and what is driving their difficulties.
Therapy
Occupational Therapy for DCD/Dyspraxia at Hopscotch takes a neurologically informed approach. Rather than simply practising individual tasks, we work at the level of the underlying motor planning and sensory integration processes that make skill learning difficult. This produces more generalised improvement: children/young people who can learn new skills more efficiently, not just children/young people who have drilled a specific task. Therapy may include Sensory Integration Therapy (for children and young people whose DCD/Dyspraxia has a significant sensory integration dimension), task-specific motor training, handwriting programmes, self-care skill development, and school-based strategy recommendations.
Working With Schools
DCD/Dyspraxia can have a significant impact on school life; particularly on handwriting, PE participation, and the organisational demands of secondary school. We work directly with schools to put practical adaptations in place, and we can provide written recommendations suitable for use in EHCP applications and annual reviews.