Developmental co-ordination disorder (dyspraxia) in children
Overview
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.
Symptoms
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. Find out more aboutsymptoms of DCD in children.
Causes
Doing co-ordinated movements is a complex process that involves many different nerves and parts of the brain. Any problem in this process could potentially lead to difficulties with movement and co-ordination. It's not usually clear why co-ordination doesn't develop as well as other abilities in children with DCD. However, a number of risk factors that can increase a child's likelihood of developing DCD have been identified. These include: being born prematurely, before the 37th week of pregnancybeing born with a low birth weighthaving a family history of DCD, although it is not clear exactly which genes may be involved in the conditionthe mother drinking alcohol or taking illegal drugs while pregnant