Specific Learning Difficulties: Developmental Coordination Disorder

Previously known as: Dyspraxia

This is a Learning Difficulty where the person has problems with planning (praxis). This is most clearly seen in motor skills, so it is often seen as a physical difficulty, but the underlying issues with ability mean the impact can be much wider.

• Fine Motor Skills: delicate manipulation, particularly using the fingers

• Gross Motor Skills: larger limb movements

• Balance

• Muscle memory and coodination

• Cognition (attention, organisation, planning and language development)

• Verbal Dyspraxia specifically affects the muscles in the mouth and is treated often as a SLC Difficulty.

Because Dyspraxia affects so many areas outside of the classroom, particularly play and engagement in sports/ creative pursuits where students find enjoyment and meaning, it can have a detrimental impact on emotional wellbeing and engagement.

Severe Dyspraxia will be evident from a young age and students should be referred to physical and occupational therapists to develop a comprehensive and intensive intervention program to help them develop physically.

Some Main Areas of Difficulty and Suggestions for Support:

• Organisation and planning will be affected by impaired ability to move from initial idea, through a plan to a result. This will affect areas such as:

• Time management

• Concentration or listening in class

  • Personal organisation, e.g. planning what to take to class

  • Following routines and processes in class, e.g. how to access or upload homework on Teams, how to solve an equation, how to follow instructions for a science experiment, how to play a song on the piano

  • Language development, e.g. how to build up a sentence, how to build a paragraph, how to express an idea logically

  • Fine Motor Skills will require activities that build up control of the fingers. Handwriting practise is useful but can be dull, therefore, looking to improve their skills through games and activities that require manipulation can be more useful. Typing and use of tech for presenting may be more productive and engaging.

  • Gross Motor Skills can benefit from increasing muscle tone and strength through encouraging them in sports. Often students with mild dyspraxia can take part in most sports, but looking for things such as swimming and athletics can be particularly beneficial.

  • Occupational and physiotherapy sessions can also help

  • Balancing skills can be improved through yoga or gymnastics, or sports that require co-ordination across the body, such as football, rugby or basketball, as well as swimming.

  • The greatest problem with supporting Dyspraxic students is that they will often be unwilling or self-conscious to take part. With more extreme dyspraxia, the strain put on under developed muscles and un-refined movements can cause physical pain. There is a much higher risk of fatigue and injury, and students can become tired and unmotivated quickly. Task analysis, to ascertain what skills are demanded from a task, and to what extent they will challenge the student physically and mentally can help produce more manageable and accessible activities.

  • For a great many Dyspraxic students poor muscle memory will also affect their ability to learn and naturalise new movements. When teaching physical activities (from handwriting to dance moves) they will need an extremely high level of task breakdown, explicit instruction and over learning. Frequently, students with more extreme Dyspraxia will have little awareness of their physical movements, or control and organisation of them, so they may need to be guided through them slowly, carefully and, at times, manipulated into place. This will affect subjects such as music, art, DT and handwriting/ spelling/ stroke order for characters

  • Considerations should be taken regarding the time and accuracy of movements; e.g. extra time to change clothes, allowances for difficulties with eating (perhaps a packed lunch), use of pencil grips, technology or a scribe and alternative methods of production and assessment for class work.

There are often social and well being concerns that are raised around students with Dyspraxia. It can be hard for students who struggle with play, with team sports, or creative subjects, in addition to difficulties with academic work and organisation. In cases where students require additional, external support, Occupational therapy can be helpful in supporting students with these challenges.

For more information about Dyspraxia and motor-coordination challenges, watch the video

below: