Dyspraxia
assessments
LOUISE HILLIARDyspraxia Assessment & Diagnosis for Adults and Students
Professional Dyspraxia Evaluations in Bristol & Bath
What does dyspraxia look like?
Those with dyspraxia (or developmental coordination disorder) often have difficulties in the following areas:
- Fine motor skills e.g. handwriting, drawing, using scissors, tying shoelaces
- Gross motor skills e.g. sports involving hand-eye coordination, dancing
- Balance and posture e.g. riding a bike, becoming tired when standing
- Spatial awareness e.g. being clumsy, finding driving difficult, getting lost
Key features of dyspraxia relate to movement and coordination, but it is not uncommon for those with dyspraxia to have cooccurring dyslexia, autism and/or ADHD.
A definition of dyspraxia
Movement Matters’ definition of dyspraxia
Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), also known as Dyspraxia in the UK, is a common disorder affecting fine and/or gross motor coordination in children and adults. This condition is formally recognised by international organisations including the World Health Organisation. DCD is distinct from other motor disorders such as cerebral palsy and stroke. Individual’s intellectual ability is in line with the general population. Individuals may vary in how their difficulties present; these may change over time depending on environmental demands and life experience, and will persist into adulthood.
An individual’s coordination difficulties may affect participation and functioning of everyday life skills in education, work and employment. Children may present with difficulties with self-care, writing, typing, riding a bike, play as well as other educational and recreational activities. In adulthood many of these difficulties will continue, as well as learning new skills at home, in education and work, such as driving a car and DIY. There may be a range of co-occurring difficulties which can also have serious negative impacts on daily life. These include social emotional difficulties as well as problems with time management, planning and organisation and these may impact an adult’s education or employment experiences.
Source – What is DCD – Movement Matters.
Diagnostic criteria for dyspraxia
A: Motor performance that is substantially below expected levels, given the person’s chronologic age and previous opportunities for skill acquisition. The poor motor performance may manifest as coordination problems, poor balance, clumsiness, dropping or bumping into things; marked delays in achieving developmental motor milestones (e.g., walking, crawling, sitting) or in the acquisition of basic motor skills (e.g., catching, throwing, kicking, running, jumping, hopping, cutting, colouring, printing, writing).
B: The disturbance in Criterion A, without accommodations, significantly and persistently interferes with activities of daily living or academic achievement.
C: Onset of symptoms is in the early developmental period.
D: The motor skill deficits are not better explained by intellectual disability (intellectual development disorder) or visual impairment and are not attributable to a neurological condition affecting movement (e.g., cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, degenerative disorder).
The disturbance is not due to a general medical condition (e.g., cerebral palsy, hemiplegia, or muscular dystrophy).
Source – American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Publishing.
Understanding The Assessment ProcessYour 3 Step Assessment Journey
Questionnaires are completed before the assessment to gather information about a client’s background, current situation, strengths, and challenges.
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Questionnaire responses are discussed in some detail. Cognitive abilities, literacy skills, and fine motor skills are assessed. Feedback is provided at the end of the session, and it is usually possible to determine whether a client is dyspraxic and/or dyslexic on the day of an assessment.
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A comprehensive report is produced explaining the findings of the assessment including strengths, weaknesses, and diagnostic outcomes. The report includes detailed recommendations which are tailored to the individual.
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Further information about dyspraxia in adults is available at Dyspraxia in adults – NHS and in children at Dyspraxia in children – NHS.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSDyspraxia FAQs
They’re the same condition – DCD (Developmental Coordination Disorder) is the medical term, while dyspraxia is commonly used in the UK.
Key indicators include:
- Social communication differences
- Pattern-focused thinking
- Sensory sensitivities
- Strong need for routine
- Specific, intense interests
No, but they can co-occur. Dyspraxia specifically affects motor coordination.
Through professional assessment of motor skills, coordination, and cognitive abilities.
Yes, it can impact spatial awareness and coordination while driving. Specific adaptations may help.
It can affect working memory and organisational skills, but not long-term memory.
No, it’s present from birth but may become more noticeable with increasing demands.
