Sitting in Class

Although children with DCD have difficulties with motor coordination when they are young, their difficulties are often not recognized until elementary school when classroom expectations and demands increase.

Sitting with DCD

While sitting at their desk or on the floor, children with DCD tend to:

• Have slumped posture
• Hold their head in their hands
• Lean on others
• Lie down
• Wiggle
• Fall over

Why is sitting in class challenging?

Low muscle tone (the resting state of muscles): The brain constantly sends impulses to keep our muscles ready to contract. Low tone means that muscles are less ready to contract and the child may look floppy and loose like the Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz.

Decreased postural control: Children have difficulty controlling the muscles that are needed to keep a standing or seated position.

Moving to maintain muscle activity or to hold themselves up: It is most difficult to maintain a posture when children are still. Some children need to keep moving in order to keep the level of brain activity high enough to be stable.