Dyspraxia

The NHS describes developmental co-ordination disorder, also known as dyspraxia, as a condition affecting physical co-ordination. Most families in the UK say dyspraxia. Most clinicians write DCD. The NHS explains why: dyspraxia can have several meanings, including movement difficulties that come on later in life after a brain injury or stroke, so healthcare professionals prefer the narrower term.

Early milestones like crawling, walking, feeding themselves and dressing may come later than expected. Drawing, writing and sport are often behind what you would expect for a child's age. None of that is about how clever a child is: Movement Matters, the UK umbrella body, is clear that an individual's intellectual ability is in line with the general population.

A firm diagnosis usually does not happen before a child is 5. That is not a service being slow, it is because children develop at very different rates and the picture needs time to become clear.

Dyspraxia often travels with other things, including difficulties with time management, planning and organisation, and social and emotional difficulties. Occupational therapy is the service most often involved.