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Dyspraxia / DCD in children

Checked: 12-08-2023 by Rob Adams Next Review: 12-08-2025

Overview

Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD) - previously 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.(1)

Please see advice from the NHS on dyspraxia (Developmental Co-ordination Disorder) in children:

(1) Developmental co-ordination disorder (dyspraxia) in children - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

There is also some advice in Clinical Knowledge Summaries:

(2) Scenario: Clumsy child | Management | Developmental rheumatology in children | CKS | NICE

Remedy also has a Chapter on Development and Growth:

Development & Growth (Remedy BNSSG ICB)

Adults

Please see the Dyspraxia in adults page.

Red Flags

Please see a list or Red Flags in children with musculoskeletal problems in CKS:

Assessment for red flags | Diagnosis | Developmental rheumatology in children | CKS | NICE

Referral

Parents should initially discuss concerns with their health visitor or school SENCO who may be able to give some general advice and support and should be able to refer on to children’s community services if necessary.

A GP or other professional can make a referral to community paediatrics via an SPE referral form. This should also be available as an EMIS template.

There are also private providers who can undertake assessments but we are unable to list them individually on this site.

Resources

Support Groups:

Dyspraxia Foundation -closed in April 2024 but there are links from this page to other organisations that may be able to offer support.

Efforts are made to ensure the accuracy and agreement of these guidelines, including any content uploaded, referred to or linked to from the system. However, BNSSG ICB cannot guarantee this. This guidance does not override the individual responsibility of healthcare professionals to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual patient, in consultation with the patient and/or guardian or carer, in accordance with the mental capacity act, and informed by the summary of product characteristics of any drugs they are considering. Practitioners are required to perform their duties in accordance with the law and their regulators and nothing in this guidance should be interpreted in a way that would be inconsistent with compliance with those duties.

Information provided through Remedy is continually updated so please be aware any printed copies may quickly become out of date.