What is DCD?

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is the term used to describe difficulties in the development of movement skills. It is usually first noticed in early childhood as a difficulty in learning skills or performing activities that require motor coordination. It is so named due to:

Developmental: because it is a condition affecting the child’s development

Co-ordination:  because it primarily concerns the motor coordination

Disorder: because it significantly affects the child ( i.e. 2 standard deviations below the norm = below the 5th percentile)‏

Some typical indications of possible DCD are:

 

  • Clumsy children

  • Very disorganized

  • Cannot tie shoelaces/get dressed by themselves

  • Cannot sit still – fidgety

  • Falling behind their peers in school work

  • Clumsy movements on cutting, early writing, colouring, threading

  • Difficulties managing self-care, e.g. lunch containers, clothing, school-bag

  • Problems with P.E. and games, e.g. ball skills, gymnastics, hopping, skipping

  • Poorly established hand dominance

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    Research shows that many children DO NOT grow out of it.

     

    DCD affects a child's performance of everyday tasks in the home, play and school environments. The cause of DCD is unknown; however, we know that the difficulty arises in the processing of the information between the brain and the body, which affects the child's ability to move effectively.

     

    Each child is affected in different ways and In different levels of difficulty which is why an individual assessment is usually required in order to diagnose and determine the level of therapy required.

    It is known that DCD is NOT due to:

     

    International studies suggest that DCD is present in 6% of children between the ages of 5 to 12 (i.e. 1 in every 16) which is approximately one child in every class at primary school level.

     

    See the Role of Occupational Therapy for more information on how OT can help your child.