Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a condition in which a child finds it difficult to coordinate their movements. Everyday skills like tying shoelaces or catching a ball become frustrating. Your child may be unable to write well, play games, or dance. It's not just clumsiness, and your child won't grow out of it.
What Is Developmental Coordination Disorder?
Children with DCD have average intelligence but also have a motor coordination problem. They're unable to get their hands, fingers, and other body parts moving together smoothly. They need a lot of time and effort to learn new skills.
About 5% to 6% of school students have DCD. Children born prematurely or at a low birth weight face a higher risk.
What Are the Causes of Developmental Coordination Disorder?
The cause of DCD is unknown. Neurological and genetic studies are being done to pinpoint the cause or causes.
What Are the Symptoms of Developmental Coordination Disorder?
DCD symptoms vary in type and severity. Your child may have only one or two problems, like poor handwriting or dancing. However, some children have difficulties with all physical activities.
A child may have DCD with no other problems. Alternatively, DCD can happen in children with learning disorders and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In these children, it is more severe.
A child with DCD may have problems with gross motor skills like walking and running, often tripping over their own feet or bumping into doors while passing through them. They may also have problems with fine motor skills like writing, drawing, buttoning shirts, and tying shoelaces.
A child with DCD may also have difficulty in planning tasks. They may, for example, find it hard to decide how to go about picking up a pencil from the floor. If they attempt to pick it up, they may topple over when bending down, or they may be unable to close their fingers on the pencil after reaching it.
How Is Developmental Coordination Disorder Diagnosed?
Your child with DCD may be late in learning to walk. They may drop things, bump into people, and find stairs challenging. You may have to teach them to wear a jacket several times, and their writing skills may be poor.
At young ages, tripping while walking and poor handwriting may be considered normal. Many children develop skills late, but they catch up later. Developmental coordination disorder is usually diagnosed after age 5.
Children with DCD don't do well at sports and dancing and may embarrass themselves at the dining table. They gradually withdraw from social activities.
To diagnose DCD, your doctor will test your child for balance, strength, coordination, movement planning, and movement control. Some tests used for developmental coordination disorder diagnosis include:
- Movement ABC battery
- Bruininks-Oseretsky test of motor proficiency
Your pediatrician may refer you to a neurologist. They will examine your child for any nervous system problems like cerebral palsy and autism spectrum disorder, which often coexist.
If your child has some of these issues and struggles while learning new physical skills, you should consider the possibility of DCD. An early diagnosis is important to minimize self-esteem problems, anxiety, and other psychiatric symptoms.
What Is the Treatment for Developmental Coordination Disorder?
Although children with DCD do not have a major disability, they need help. DCD does not go away with time.
Your child needs treatment from several specialists. A physical therapist can teach them balance and muscular control. Occupational therapists are very important. They can teach your child various skills, like writing, buttoning their jacket, and tying laces.
Your child's team of specialists will assess your child's skills from time to time. Based on progress, they will advise about suitable activities and games. They can also tell you about workarounds, such as using a computer instead of writing.
What You Can Do to Help
Remember to be patient. Be prepared to spend a lot of time and effort on each skill, repeating your teaching multiple times until your child learns it.
Plan your child's hobbies and activities. Enroll them only for activities they can manage, and be supportive of difficulties and failures.
Your child with DCD requires a lot of support and encouragement. They often have poor self-esteem and low academic performance. Boosting their confidence will help them learn better.
Your child with DCD avoids sports because of frustration and humiliation. Physical activity is essential for good health, though, and you should encourage it.
DCD is a medical disorder. Motor incoordination does not go away. It's something you have to live with and treat for optimal outcomes.
New skills will require more time to learn and should be done in small steps to avoid frustration. With patience and professional help, your child with DCD can achieve much.