What is Dyspraxia?
Dyspraxia (dys = difficult, praxis = action) is a motor planning disorder, meaning the brain struggles to coordinate and sequence movements. It is often referred to as Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) ¹. Dyspraxia affects a person’s ability to plan and carry out motor tasks efficiently. These tasks can involve gross motor skills (such as walking, running, or maintaining balance) or fine motor skills (such as writing, fastening buttons, or using utensils) ².
In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) ¹, Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is listed as a motor disorder under the broader category of neurodevelopmental disorders. This highlights that dyspraxia is not just clumsiness or a phase of delayed development. It is a recognized neurological condition that can persist into adulthood.
Dyspraxia may also affect speech. Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is sometimes called verbal dyspraxia, is a motor speech disorder where the brain struggles to direct the precise movements of the lips, tongue, jaw, and palate required to form clear speech sounds.³. Although CAS and DCD are separate diagnoses, they can occur together.
Other common co-occurring conditions include:
- autism spectrum disorder,
- ADHD,
- dyslexia,
- dysgraphia,
- intellectual disability ¹,⁴.
Dyspraxia in Children and Adults
While dyspraxia is most often identified in childhood, it can continue into adulthood. Children with dyspraxia may first be recognized as “clumsy” or delayed in reaching motor milestones such as crawling, walking, or tying shoelaces ⁴. In adults, dyspraxia continues to manifest as persistent difficulties with spatial awareness, physical balance, handwriting, daily organization, or mastering new complex motor tasks like driving a car.
Dyspraxia can also be acquired later in life due to brain injury, such as a stroke, traumatic brain injury, or progressive illness. When acquired in this manner, it is referred to as acquired dyspraxia ⁵.
Dyspraxia vs. Apraxia: What’s the Difference?
The terms dyspraxia and apraxia are sometimes used interchangeably, but they describe different degrees of motor planning difficulties.
- Dyspraxia: Refers to a partial impairment in the ability to plan and execute smooth, accurate, and consistent physical movements.
-
Apraxia: Refers to a complete inability to perform a motor action, even when the individual fully understands the task and has the physical desire to perform it.
Apraxia is categorized into specific clinical subtypes, such as limb-kinetic apraxia (inability to make precise finger or arm movements) ², ⁸, constructional apraxia (difficulty drawing or copying shapes), and childhood apraxia of speech.
Causes and Risk Factors
Medical researchers do not yet fully understand the exact root causes of dyspraxia ². However, evidence indicates that the condition stems from disruption in how the brain processes neurological signals and transmits them to the body’s muscles.
Risk factors include ⁶:
- Premature birth (especially before 32 weeks)
- Very low birth weight
- Family history of dyspraxia or related conditions
- Maternal drug or alcohol use during pregnancy
Biological males are statistically more likely to be diagnosed with dyspraxia, and the condition frequently runs in families, pointing to a strong genetic component ¹.
How Common is Dyspraxia?
Dyspraxia is surprisingly widespread, impacting roughly 6% of all school-aged children ⁶. Symptoms generally become far more obvious once a child enters a structured classroom environment, where their motor skills, handwriting, and organizational capabilities are directly compared against those of their peers.
Signs and Symptoms of Dyspraxia
Dyspraxia symptoms vary significantly based on a child’s age and the overall severity of their condition. While certain red flags appear during infancy, others only become clear as academic demands increase.
Symptoms in Babies and Toddlers::
- Noticeable delays in hitting physical milestones (rolling, crawling, sitting, walking)
- Pronounced difficulty learning to feed themselves with utensils
- Struggles playing with toys that require basic hand-eye coordination
Symptoms in Older Children:
- Frequent tripping, falling, or bumping into furniture and people
- Struggles with physical play, bike riding, swimming, catching, or throwing balls
- Persistent issues with handwriting, coloring inside lines, or using scissors
- Difficulty managing daily self-care tasks (buttoning shirts, zipping jackets, tying shoes)
- Physical restlessness or excessive bodily movement when attempting to maintain focus
Associated Cognitive and Social Challenges:
- Poor core muscle strength and weak postural control
- Difficulty processing multi-step directions or remembering sequential tasks
- Chronic disorganization and poor personal time management
- Emotional distress, low self-esteem, or school anxiety stemming from physical frustration
- Social isolation, often caused by difficulty reading non-verbal cues or keeping up with physical peer play
Speech and language may also be affected. Children struggling with dyspraxia may take noticeably longer to process verbal questions, struggle to organize their thoughts logically, or exhibit slurred, unclear, and inconsistent speech production.
How Dyspraxia Is Diagnosed
Because no single medical test or blood panel can confirm dyspraxia, reaching a formal diagnosis requires a comprehensive multidisciplinary evaluation. This diagnostic team typically includes pediatricians, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, child psychologists, and pediatric neurologists.
A thorough assessment usually involves:
- A detailed review of the child’s birth, medical, developmental, and academic history
- Standardized testing measuring motor coordination and movement precision
- Clinical observations of both fine and gross motor capabilities
- Direct observation during functional daily tasks like writing, buttoning clothes, or balancing
Speech pathologists play a key role when speech, language, or literacy difficulties are also present. They can diagnose co-occurring Childhood Apraxia of Speech and assess broader communication and learning needs.
