Explaining DCD

DCD is chronic: PTs can help parents understand what is "wrong" with their child

  • Families often recognize that something is "wrong" with their child, but they don't know what it is. They (and others) might think that their child is lazy or misbehaving.
  • Coordination difficulties do not ‘go away’ with time, they persist into adolescence and adulthood.
  • PTs can help families and teachers to understand the link between impairments and the activity difficulties that they observe. For example, children who can’t maintain sitting in a chair may have low trunk muscle tone; milk spills may be due to poor force or distance judgments; end-of-the-day fatigue may be due to the extra effort required to perform every motor task.
  • Educators and individuals in the community can benefit from having an understanding of DCD to help support children with DCD.

This is a video of a mother of a child with DCD explaining why it has been important for her to understand DCD and getting a diagnosis.

 
Question for Reflection
Why do motor coordination difficulties persist into adolescence and adulthood?
Click here for some thoughts on this question
Why do motor coordination difficulties persist into adolescence and adulthood?

Strong evidence indicates that DCD is a chronic health condition that cannot be ‘outgrown’ with more practice and/or experience. Current research would suggest that the underlying motor impairment cannot be changed or ‘fixed’. However, children with DCD can successfully learn strategies to help them perform the tasks they need and want to do in their daily life. Interventions incorporating a focus on the learning of these strategies may help to lessen activity limitations and participation restrictions during adolescence and adulthood.

So what about Max?
Max's teacher reports that Max is the class clown and frequently disturbs his classmates. You will want to observe Max in the classroom. It is possible that Max is falling off his chair, not purposively to disturb others, but because his low trunk muscle tone prevents him from sustaining a seated posture. Max's parents and teachers are struggling with ways to help him. Providing them with information about DCD and strategies to use at home and in school will be helpful.