Does your child seem clumsy to you? Do they often knock things over, struggle to get dressed on their own, and face difficulties at school? These signs resonate with the symptoms of childhood dyspraxia.
Far from being a lack of intelligence or willpower, dyspraxia is a disorder that affects the coordination and organization of movements. Certain tasks thus become real challenges for these neuroatypical children, such as writing, getting dressed, using tools, or even staying focused for long periods.
What are the symptoms of dyspraxia in children? How can you support a dyspraxic child to make their daily life easier? We offer valuable advice aimed at better understanding your child's functioning and needs, and adapting their environment to help them gain autonomy and comfort.
What is dyspraxia? Understanding this invisible disorder
Definition of childhood dyspraxia
Dyspraxia, also called Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects the planning, coordination, and automation of movements.
A dyspraxic child may encounter difficulties buttoning clothing, tying shoelaces, writing, cutting, or even using certain tools like a ruler.
These gestures, which are automatic and simple for most, prove problematic for children who struggle to plan, adjust, coordinate, and automate their movements, as well as to organize the different stages of a physical action.
Even though dyspraxia has no link to the child's intelligence or desire—they may want to do something but cannot execute it—it can have a significant impact on daily activities, hobbies, and schooling.
Differences between dyspraxia, clumsiness, or simple motor delay
It is common for children to knock over a glass or take time to learn how to tie their shoelaces. Clumsiness or a motor delay should not be confused with dyspraxia.
For health professionals, childhood dyspraxia is defined as a persistent, significant motor difficulty that has a real impact on daily autonomy, school, and leisure activities.
Dyspraxia and intelligence: can a dyspraxic child succeed at school?
Dyspraxia and intelligence are not opposites. Quite the contrary; dyspraxic children often possess normal or even superior intellectual capabilities.
Their intelligence is reflected, notably, in the compensation strategies they adopt to overcome their motor constraints.
Their disorder is expressed more through difficulties in implementing instructions than in understanding them.
With daily accommodations, dyspraxic children can certainly succeed at school and minimize the fatigue associated with organizing their movements.
What are the symptoms of dyspraxia in children?
Motor signs of dyspraxia
Symptoms of dyspraxia can vary from one child to another and according to their age. However, motor signs, such as poor coordination or balance issues, are regularly encountered in dyspraxic children.
Poor motor coordination
Coordination problems result in difficulties performing daily movements required to get around, dress, eat, and perform manual or school tasks.
A certain slowness or clumsiness can thus appear in a dyspraxic child.
Learning to ride a bike, eat properly with utensils, or tie shoelaces represents a real challenge for a dyspraxic child.
Activities requiring precision, such as writing, cutting, or handling Legos, are also difficult to accomplish.
Scientific research converges on a problem of brain development and an alteration of the body schema.
Low muscle tone
Does your child have hypotonia, show a slumped posture, and seem to tire quickly during physical activities? Do they struggle to throw, catch, or aim a ball? Low muscle tone is one of the symptoms of dyspraxia.
Balance problems
Frequent falls or repeated bumping into objects sometimes reveal problems with balance and laterality. The dyspraxic child struggles to acquire the coordination of alternating movements necessary to practice activities like walking or cycling.
Difficulties at school: writing, organization, and learning
At school, Developmental Coordination Disorder is often associated with dysgraphia. This leads to difficulties holding a pen and manipulating standard school supplies, such as a ruler or scissors.
If writing is slow and exhausting, organizing work and materials is equally problematic.
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For a dyspraxic child, adjusting their movement, copying from the board, and listening to instructions are all cumulative tasks performed simultaneously that are very costly for them.
It is no wonder your child is significantly fatigued after doing homework.
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Fatigue, concentration, and cognitive overload in the dyspraxic child
Fatigue in a dyspraxic child is very common and must be taken into account, as it induces concentration difficulties and cognitive overload.
While certain gestures seem automatic to most, children with a neuroatypical profile mobilize a great deal of energy to adjust their motor coordination.
Writing a simple sentence requires intense effort: thinking about what one wants to write, then remembering the spelling, holding the pencil, and controlling the movement, not to mention organizing space on the page and respecting the lines.
Science has shown that dual-tasking exhausts the resources of a child suffering from dyspraxia.
This is why creating an environment that limits demands is a key to avoiding discouragement in dyspraxic children.
How is dyspraxia diagnosed in children?
The diagnosis of dyspraxia is carried out by a multidisciplinary team that performs a clinical examination. This assessment includes a questionnaire, observations, and tests to evaluate the difficulties encountered by the child (spatial orientation, coordination disorders, clumsiness, etc.).
When should you consult?
A consultation may be necessary when motor constraints persist despite the child's efforts and willpower.
If the difficulties impact daily life, both at home and at school, and generate intense fatigue, diagnosing dyspraxia can allow for the implementation of accommodations to help the child gain autonomy.
Who can provide a diagnosis of dyspraxia?
The diagnosis of DCD is part of a multidisciplinary process.
The primary care physician, pediatrician, or a pediatric neurologist are qualified to observe the child's motor performance and its consequences on their daily life.
An occupational therapist can intervene to work on motor skills, coordination, and movement organization. The occupational therapist (also known in some regions as a specialist therapist) is a professional who supports the child in the use of compensatory tools like a computer.
Why does a diagnosis help the child?
A dyspraxia diagnosis is beneficial for the child. Initially, it helps to understand their difficulties and their way of functioning.
Next, it allows for adapting arrangements and tools according to their needs.
From a psychological point of view, a formal diagnosis can help the child gain self-confidence. They are no longer viewed as "clumsy" or "unfocused," but simply as having a neurodevelopmental disorder.
Identifying obstacles in order to overcome them better is the mission of the diagnosis.
How to help a dyspraxic child in daily life?
Facilitating daily movements
Adopting good practices can greatly facilitate the daily life of a dyspraxic child.
Favor easy-to-put-on clothing such as Velcro shoes, elastic-waist pants, and shirts with snap buttons to make dressing easier.
To avoid mishaps at the table, dishware can also be adapted. Easy-to-open water bottles, plates with raised edges, glasses or cups with two handles, and curved cutlery are all examples of ergonomic tableware that improve grip.
Many solutions exist to help DCD children with gripping drawing and cutting tools to compensate for fine motor deficiencies. They allow for reducing motor constraints by limiting the number of movements required daily. Pens with grips, spring-loaded scissors, or non-slip rulers with handles are designed to support dyspraxic children in their schoolwork.
Developing autonomy with simple adaptations
Visual cues greatly help DYS (dyslexic/dyspraxic) children gain autonomy.
Regarding storage, this can involve color codes, pictograms, or labels to organize belongings and other school supplies.
To improve time management, a Time Timer is a wonderful tool that materializes passing time using a color disk.
In addition to organizing the environment, anticipating events provides significant help to neurodivergent children. Whether it’s preparing clothes the night before or breaking down tasks to better progress step by step, these small routines reduce stress, build confidence, and free up the DYS child's working memory.
Creating an environment that facilitates learning for dyspraxic children
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A messy bedroom containing many toys, books, and objects everywhere, along with a cluttered desk, requires the dyspraxic child to make a constant effort to filter the visual information surrounding them.
Setting up a dedicated homework area for dyspraxic children can facilitate learning. A calm, uncluttered environment limits distractions. In this setting, the child can maintain their focus on the tasks at hand.
Here are some tips for setting up a DYS child's desk:
- Choose a quiet location
- Keep only the essentials within reach on the desk
- Store supplies and school materials in accessible drawers and boxes
- Use visual cues to organize storage
- Ensure the workspace has sufficient lighting (natural light + desk lamp)
Postural comfort is also essential to facilitate learning for a dyspraxic child. Ergonomic furniture helps support the child's movements and allows for changes in position.
Why encourage movement in dyspraxic children?
The need to move in some dyspraxic children
The human body is not designed to endure prolonged static sitting. For children, the natural need to move can make school days exhausting, especially for children with dyspraxic disorders.
Avoiding immobility proves truly beneficial: movement promotes oxygenation of the body and helps the brain stay alert. A child who seems restless may simply be trying to regulate their attention.
Numerous research studies have demonstrated that physical activity can improve coordination, fine motor skills, and balance, thus making daily life easier for dyspraxic children.
So, don't hesitate to offer your child active breaks during homework time. Allow them to move and let them change position when sitting for a long time in order to limit fatigue.
What role can dynamic seating play?
Children with dyspraxia often experience hypotonia and difficulties with postural maintenance.
Maintaining a prolonged static sitting position is very demanding, both mentally—as it mobilizes the child's cognitive resources to the detriment of their learning—and physically, as immobility creates tension and fatigue.
By encouraging movement, dynamic seating strengthens core muscles and improves postural comfort. Furthermore, it supports cognitive and motor functions while respecting the child's need to move.
Bloon Kids: the exercise ball chair as support for the learning of a child with dyspraxia
The Bloon Kids is an exercise ball chair specially designed for children from 130 cm tall, which offers dynamic ergonomic seating.
Its slightly unstable base accompanies the movements made naturally by the child to adjust their posture and maintain their balance. The weighted base improves stability and enhances safety, preventing the ball from rolling around the room.
Sitting on a ball stimulates the vestibular and proprioceptive system, which helps keep the brain alert and improves concentration.
For a child with a developmental coordination disorder, being able to move and change position during reading time, homework, or creative activities makes tasks more comfortable.
Finally, with its trendy design, the Bloon ball chair fits easily into your interior and brings a decorative touch to the room.
What adaptations can facilitate daily life at school?
In consultation with the school's teaching staff and health professionals, parents can request the implementation of a personalized support plan (PAP). This program helps formalize the educational adaptations necessary for students suffering from one or more learning disabilities.
Various accommodations are offered to meet the child's needs in the classroom:
- Granting of extra time during assessments
- Lightening the student's workload (fill-in-the-blank dictations, etc.)
- Use of a laptop to limit handwriting
- Provision of adapted equipment (noise-canceling headphones, ergonomic cushion, chair strap, etc.)
The intervention of human assistance, such as an AESH (accompanying students with disabilities), for a few hours per week is also possible to support the child. The only condition is having filed a GEva-Sco application with the MDPH (Departmental House for Disabled Persons).
Whatever disorder the child suffers from, it is important never to reduce them to their difficulties. On the contrary, valuing their progress is essential to preserve their motivation and develop their confidence and autonomy.
Frequently asked questions about childhood dyspraxia
Is dyspraxia a disability?
Dyspraxia can be considered a disability depending on its level of impact on the child's autonomy, daily life, and schooling. The disability status can be formalized by a professional's diagnosis and a submission to the MDPH.
What are the first signs of dyspraxia in a child?
Persistent clumsiness, frequent falls, repeated bumping into things, and difficulties learning or performing daily gestures, such as riding a bike, holding cutlery, or tying shoelaces, can be the first signs of dyspraxia in a child.
Can dyspraxia be associated with dysgraphia?
Yes, as dyspraxia is a disorder of motor coordination, it frequently impacts handwriting. Although the two concepts are different, dyspraxia is often associated with dysgraphia.
Does dyspraxia cause attention disorders?
Dyspraxia does not cause ADHD, but coordination disorders are often associated with attentional difficulties.
Does dyspraxia disappear with age?
Dyspraxia does not disappear with age. However, developing compensation strategies can help gain autonomy, facilitate movements, and thus live better with this disorder on a daily basis.
How to help a child with dyspraxia during homework?
Choose a quiet space and keep the desk uncluttered and tidy to limit visual and auditory distractions. Using dynamic seating and adapted tools, the child can focus on their work.
Why are children with dyspraxia often tired?
The accumulation of simultaneous movements, their planning, and organization require significant effort and overload the cognitive functions of a child with dyspraxia, which increases fatigue.
What accommodations facilitate daily life?
Labeled storage, clothes that are easy to put on, adapted equipment, and comfortable seating all help facilitate daily activities.
Conclusion
Dyspraxia is a daily challenge. Understanding the child's needs and identifying their difficulties makes it possible to implement solutions to limit the impact of this developmental coordination disorder.
Adapting the environment with simplified tools and ergonomic dynamic seating can help the child with dyspraxia regain confidence and facilitate their learning.
With this in mind, integrating the Bloon Kids into the environment allows the child to maintain their freedom of movement during times when they must remain seated.