Discover What Developmental Coordination Disorders Are
Developmental Coordination Disorders (DCD) in Children

What are they? These are delays in a child’s motor skills or a difficulty in a child’s ability to coordinate movements.  What are the key traits of DCD?

Affects 5-8% of school aged children to perform everyday tasks
  • Often occurs with a learning disability, ADHD, Speech and Language Disorder, and behavioral problems
  • Can persists through adulthood
What are the common characteristics / symptoms of DCD? Physical:
  •  Can be “clumsy” or have poor balance (e.g. bumps into things or knocks things over)
  •  Can have difficulty learning new motor skills (e.g. kicking / throwing ball)
  •  More difficulty with motor activities that require constant change (e.g. jumping rope, playing baseball)
  •  More difficulty with motor activities that require the use of both sides of the body (e.g. using scissors, hitting ball, jumping jacks)
  •  Difficulty with handwriting
  •  Difficulty self-care skills (e.g. dressing, using utensils)
  •  Difficulty sitting still or having good posture Emotional and Behavioral:
  •  Tends to avoid motor based activities or has low frustration tolerance
  •  Tend to avoid socializing
  •  Dissatisfaction with their work or self-conscious
  •  Lack of confidence
  •  Resistant to change in routine How can our team of Occupational Therapists help?
  •  Creating a plan of care to teach motor skills 1:1 to the child providing adaptions when needed
  •  Improve body awareness and how to notice visuals cues each motor tasks provides
  •  Teaching child how to adapt their movement from the feedback that their body provides them in motor tasks
  •  Improve body awareness through multi-sensory activities in our sensory motor gyms
  •  Teach compensation and coping strategiesENCOURAGE, CHALLENGE, IMPROVE IS HOW OUR SUCCESS IS MADE!
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