Dyspraxia/DCD

What is DCD?

Developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD), also known as dyspraxia, is a condition affecting physical

co-ordination. It causes a child to perform less well than expected in daily activities for their age, and appear to move clumsily.

DCD is thought to be around 3 or 4 times more common in boys than girls, and the condition sometimes runs in families. The condition often causes continued problems into adulthood. 

An individual’s coordination difficulties may affect participation and functioning of everyday life skills in education, work and employment.


Children may present with difficulties with self-care, writing, typing, riding a bike and play as well as other educational and recreational activities. In adulthood many of these difficulties will continue, as well as learning new skills at home, in education and work, such as driving a car and DIY.


There may be a range of co-occurring difficulties which can also have serious negative impacts on daily life. These include social and emotional difficulties as well as problems with time management, planning and personal organisation, and these may also affect an adult’s education or employment experiences.
Many people with DCD also experience difficulties with memory, perception and processing.

While DCD is often regarded as an umbrella term to cover motor coordination difficulties, dyspraxia refers to those people who have additional problems planning, organising and carrying out movements in the right order in everyday situations. Dyspraxia can also affect articulation and speech, perception and thought.

Symptoms of DCD

  • Early developmental milestones of crawling, walking, self-feeding and dressing may be delayed in young children with DCD.
  • Drawing, writing and performance in sports are also usually behind what is expected for their age.

Although signs of the condition are present from an early age, children vary widely in their rate of development. This means a definite diagnosis of DCD does not usually happen until a child with the condition is 5 years old or more.

There’s no cure for DCD, but a number of therapies can help children to manage their problems.

These include:

  • being taught ways of do activities they find difficult, such as breaking down difficult movements into smaller parts and practicing them regularly
  • adapting tasks to make them easier, such as using special grips on pens and pencils so they are easier to hold

Although DCD does not affect how intelligent a child is, it can make it more difficult for them to learn and they may need extra help to keep up at school.

Treatment for DCD will be tailored to your child and usually involves a number of different healthcare professionals working together.

Although the physical co-ordination of a child with DCD will remain below average, this often becomes less of a problem as they get older.

However, difficulties in school – particularly producing written work – can become much more prominent and require extra help from parents and teachers. 

For further information on Dyspraxia, please visit the following websites:

https://dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/developmental-coordination-disorder-dyspraxia

http://www.movementmattersuk.org/

https://www.pearson.com/uk/educators/special-educational-needs-disability/send-blog/2016/11/support-in-the-classroom-for-those-with-dyspraxia-dcd.html

If you are concerned that your child finds co-ordination difficult and want to discuss it further, please contact the school ALNCo or your child’s class teacher.

ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects children and teens and can continue into adulthood. ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed mental disorder of children. Children with ADHD may be hyperactive and unable control their impulses, or they may have trouble paying attention.

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a term used for people who have excessive difficulties with concentration without the presence of other ADHD symptoms such as excessive impulsiveness or hyperactivity.  Some children with ADD are also impulsive but have never been hyperactive.

A guide for parents to find out more about ADHD.

Please visit the following website for support with diet, nutrition, and therapeutic support aimed at improving mental wellbeing, behaviour, and sleep issues in neurodivergent individuals.

ADHD for children:

Please visit the following website for support with diet, nutrition, and therapeutic support aimed at improving mental wellbeing, behaviour, and sleep issues in neurodivergent individuals.

ADHD for children:

Symptoms of ADHD in Children

ADHD in children has three main symptom groups – hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention.

To be diagnosed with ADHD a child does not have to have all three symptoms. Some children with attention deficit disorder only manifest two symptoms, or even one. This means that quiet children who always seem lost in their thoughts can have ADHD just as much as the hyperactive child who runs heedlessly into the street or breaks all their toys before they realise what they are doing.

Hyperactivity is always being active. This would see a child:

  • always on the move
  • fidgeting non stop if asked to sit still
  • seeming to have a battery that never runs out
  • finding relaxing difficult, no ‘off’ switch
  • having illogic and quick changes in mood.

Impulsivity is acting without thinking of consequences and speaking without filters. This sees a child:

  • saying whatever they think
  • blurting out mean comments to others
  • taking toys that don’t belong to them
  • interrupting others
  • not understanding the concept of personal space
  • breaking and smashing things
  • doing thoughtless things like touching a hot stove
  • being overreactive or volatile
  • upsetting or scaring other children.

Inattention is difficulties maintaining attention. This would see a child:

  • sitting at her desk at school staring out the window
  • being seen as a ‘daydreamer’
  • not listening well when spoken to
  • having difficulty following directions
  • unable to finish things
  • often forgetting their homework
  • losing their possessions
  • upsetting other children due to an inability to grasp rules or protocol.

All children, by their very nature, will at some point manifest signs of ADHD – they will struggle to pay attention if there is something more exciting to do, they will impulsively grab a toy off another child, or will forget instructions you told them only five minutes ago.

So it’s important not to jump to conclusions that your child has ADHD or make a diagnosis by yourself. The only way to be sure is to consult a paediatrician or psychiatrist who specialises in ADHD and has the right experience.

For further information please visit the following websites :

If you are concerned that your child finds it difficult to focus and concentrate and want to discuss it further, please contact the school ALNCo @ croftsj12@hwbcymru.net or your child’s class teacher.

Please note we follow a graduated response, and if referrals are to be made by school, a period of evidence gathering is firstly required. The referral process is a long and thorough one, and can take more than 24 months for an assessment.