Dyspraxia is a lifelong developmental coordination disorder, also known as Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). It is a common disorder that affects movement and coordination in children and adults and is a hidden disability.
It can affect an individual’s life across many different areas and make it difficult to carry out tasks or activities that others may take for granted. Like many neurodivergent conditions, each person’s experience with dyspraxia is different and will be affected by their age, environmental demands, skills learned, and the support of others.
A key aspect of dyspraxia is difficulty coordinating fine and gross motor skills, but it can also impact on memory coordination. Some other signs might include:
An increase in mental and physical effort to perform movements
An individual with dyspraxia may also struggle with organising themselves, their equipment, and thoughts. They could experience problems with attention, memory, and time management, and this is often a bigger concern for adults with dyspraxia than any movement issues. For some individuals, they might struggle to keep up with conversations and pause for a lengthy period before responding to a question or comment.
Strengths:
By building on these strengths and supporting the areas in which someone might struggle or have difficulties, people with dyspraxia can excel in their careers and reach their greater potential as well as adding to their organisation in a productive and creative way.
