Developmental Coordination Disorder

Developmental
Coordination
Disorder
What is Developmental Coordination (DCD)? 1
Developmental Coordination Disorder is the term used to describe difficulties in

the development of movement skills.
It becomes apparent in early childhood as a difficulty in learning or carrying out

skills that require motor coordination. This condition affects a childs
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 childs ability to move effectively. The varying severity of this processing
difficulty is what makes each child an individual case.
2.
This disorder not only impacts on the child directly but indirectly on siblings,
parents, the wider family, friends and teachers. Evidence suggests that children
do not grow out of DCD and difficulties may extend into adolescence and
sometimes into adult life.
Consequently, early diagnosis and intervention is important for both child and
family. If a child is considered to be showing difficulties in this area of
development, assessment by a multidisciplinary team is recommended.
Characteristics of DCD 3
Areas of Dysfunction:
Dyspraxia - Poor Motor Planning
This is the way the brain figures out what you are going to do and how you are
going to do it. A difficulty in motor planning will make new movements and
actions harder to do.
Difficulty with Gross motor skills
These are the large movements you do with your arms and legs. Examples of
gross motor skills include jumping, running, climbing, catching, throwing,
skipping.
Low muscle tone:
Muscle tone describes the level of activity within muscles. Low muscle tone
may manifest itself as poor posture, caused by a combination of weak muscles
and tight muscle groups.
Difficulty with Fine motor skills 4
These are the small movements you do with your fingers. Examples of fine
motor skills include using a pencil, holding a knife and fork, tying your
shoelaces or doing zips and buttons.
Sensory integration dysfunction
Children with DCD often have difficulty processing the information they receive
from their senses. These include Vision, Hearing, Taste, Smell, Touch, and
Movement. A child may be over sensitive or under sensitive to input from these
senses.
Visual Motor difficulties 5
Visual perception is the ability to make sense of what we see. Children with
visual perceptual problems may have trouble with visual memory,
discriminating the difference between similar shapes / letters, difficulty
screening out non-relevant visual information or difficulties with spatial
organisation.
Eye Movement Difficulties
Children with DCD can have difficulty co-ordinating both eyes together. This
may cause blurred and double vision, poor tracking. They may therefore have
difficulty with reading, copying from the board and eye hand coordination.
Impact on daily life: 6
Difficulty with self-care
The child with any of the above characteristics may have difficulty with a
number of daily life skills including dressing, toileting, feeding and organising
belongings. They may also take longer to become independent with these skills.
Difficulty with Handwriting
Handwriting is a complex activity which combines many skills at once. Children

with DCD frequently struggle with handwriting at school.
Poor Attention and Concentration
Children with DCD can frequently have trouble sustaining their attention on a
given task. This can be for a number of reasons, many of which are related to the
above difficulties. One reason for difficulty with attention is due to poor sensory
processing.
Here are general pointers to help your child learn particular tasks: 7
Consistency When teaching a task, try to practice it in the same place with the
same materials each time.
Repetition You may need to repeat the task for several days or even weeks.
With each repetition, remain consistent.
Clear short instructions Use one command at a time. Do not overload the child
with lots of verbal instructions, as they will become confused. Demonstrate
visually where possible.
Go at the childs pace If a child is not ready or willing to learn a skill it will be
much harder to teach. Teach one step at a time making sure the child has some
success no matter how small.
Praise all efforts Often a child with DCD will put in a huge amount of effort
and still not complete a task. It is important to praise the effort instead of the
result.
Try to balance assistance and independence Encourage your child to do as

much as they can without expecting too much. Actively involve them in each
task, even if you are doing it for them.

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Developmental

What is Developmental Coordination (DCD)? 1

Developmental Coordination Disorder is the term used to describe difficulties in

It becomes apparent in early childhood as a difficulty in learning or carrying out

Dyspraxia - Poor Motor Planning

Difficulty with Gross motor skills

Low muscle tone:

Difficulty with Fine motor skills 4

Sensory integration dysfunction

Eye Movement Difficulties

Impact on daily life: 6

Difficulty with self-care

Difficulty with Handwriting

Handwriting is a complex activity which combines many skills at once. Children

Try to balance assistance and independence Encourage your child to do as

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