Dyspraxia: Origins, indicators, and remedies
Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), often referred to as dyspraxia, is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects motor skills and coordination, impacting individuals from childhood into adulthood. This condition, characterised by difficulties in acquiring and executing coordinated motor skills, is more common than previously thought, affecting an estimated 6-10% of the population, with a higher prevalence in males.
### Common Symptoms
In children, symptoms of DCD can cause delays in reaching typical developmental milestones, such as learning to roll over, crawl, sit, walk, and use cutlery. Motor delays, movement difficulties, fine motor challenges, and motor planning issues are common. Cognitive and social difficulties, such as problems with spatial concepts, focusing attention, following instructions, working in groups, and maintaining friendships, may also be present. Early signs in infancy can include difficulties in sucking, swallowing, and persistent toe walking.
Adults with DCD may experience organizational challenges, such as poor time management, difficulty meeting deadlines, and struggles with punctuality. They may also encounter difficulties with manual skills, like trouble handling everyday items, and learning new skills. The condition can impact interpersonal relationships, career prospects, and financial stability, and may lead to cognitive symptoms such as memory, attention, and speech/language struggles that impact social interactions.
### Treatments and Management
There is no cure for DCD, but various therapeutic approaches can help manage symptoms and improve functional abilities. Occupational therapy, physical therapy, skill training, educational support, psychosocial support, and time and task management coaching are all beneficial.
Occupational therapy focuses on improving fine motor skills, coordination, and activities of daily living such as dressing, handwriting, and using utensils. Physical therapy aims to enhance gross motor skills like balance, posture, and overall movement coordination. Skill training teaches adaptive strategies for managing everyday tasks and learning new motor skills. Educational support provides tailored interventions to assist with academic challenges, including handwriting help and organizational skills training. Psychosocial support offers counseling or social skills training to manage emotional regulation, boost self-esteem, and improve social relationships. Time and task management coaching is particularly important in adults to improve organization and productivity in the workplace.
Perceptual motor training improves a child's language, visual, movement, and hearing skills. DCD affects both fine motor skills (small movements, such as using a pencil) and gross motor skills (large movements, such as kicking a ball). DCD is a form of neurodivergence and can occur alongside other forms of neurodivergence, such as ADHD, dyslexia, and autism spectrum disorder.
Active play, which involves physical activity, can help improve motor activity and is a way for children to learn about the environment and about themselves. In young children, active play combines physical and emotional learning, language development, spatial awareness, and the development of the senses.
When diagnosing DCD, a healthcare professional will ask questions about the child's developmental history, intellectual ability, and gross and fine motor skills, and assess the child's balance, touch sensitivity, and variations in walking activities. A 2021 study found that many women meet the criteria for probable DCD but that few have received an accurate diagnosis.
It is important to note that DCD does not affect a person's intelligence. Equine therapy, or hippotherapy, can be beneficial for people with developmental disorders, including DCD, as it promotes autonomy, self-esteem, self-efficacy, openness to others, and can help improve anxiety and depression symptoms.
In conclusion, DCD involves persistent difficulties with motor coordination impacting daily life from childhood into adulthood. Treatment is multidisciplinary and focuses on skill development, adaptation, and support to improve overall functioning.
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