My son J has such terrible handwriting. His words would be smashed together and it was hard to see a sentence. It looked liked one long continuous word. Or, his letters would be written on top of each other. It was also difficult to tell if he was writing an "o," from an "a." He would also have a hard time writing capital letters from lower case ones. J would also lose his balance at times. He was always falling or tripping. He would have so many bruises on his legs. There were many times he would choose to use his hands to eat instead of using the fork or spoon I gave him. He would put his clothes on backwards or inside out, sometimes both. There were times I would find him standing on his head on the couch or recliner. In each and everyone of these cases, I attributed it to him being lazy, defiant, sloppy, ADHD symptoms, and boredom. In most cases I would get on to him and sometimes even punish him. Little did I know.
J was recently diagnosed with 4 disorders, one of them being Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). The occupational therapist I spoke with stated J was the classic text book definition of this disorder. As she spoke about J and the struggles she observed him having, I began to cry. I felt so guilty for being hard on him, punishing him for something he struggles with, something he could not help. What I thought was defiance was in reality a kid who was struggling to do something that caused him anxiety and frustration and out of that anxiety and frustration he would refuse to do it. This disorder has caused J to be self conscious about certain activities and to have low self-esteem.
According to The Understood Team (2020), about 5% of children develop this disorder. It occurs mostly in males versus females. It also tends to occur with over conditions such as ADHD, autism, OCD, and others. However, this disorders is not linked to the others. DCD occurs separately. It can be difficult to determine considering many of the DCD signs and symptoms are similar to other disorders, especially ADHD (The Understood Team, 2020; Psychology Today, 2017; Healthline 2016).
Developmental Coordination Disorder, also known as dyspraxia, has no known causes. Risk factors for this disorder include being male, low birth weight, premature birth, small for gestational age, and genetics. Some researchers believe it is the result of delayed brain development (Healthline, 2016). They have determined that it is not a learning disorder. Many children with DCD have average to above average intelligence. However, there is a disconnect between their mental understanding their physical ability to carry out the task (Psychology Today, 2017; Healthline, 2016). The DSM-IV, a classification of mental health illness and disorders, classifies DCD as a neurodevelopmental motor disorder.
Dyspraxia is not associated with any type of brain injury. However, children with DCD show deficits in various areas that impacts their daily living and school activities. These areas can include basic hygiene to performing geometry. Affected children have trouble sequencing events or tasks. It is very difficult for them to remember and follow directions. For example, it may be difficult for them to remember how to do a simple task such as wash their hair (Caple and March, 2018; Psychology Today, 2017). The signs and symptoms of DCD include:
- Difficulty holding crayons, pencils, scissors
- Trouble holding spoons, forks, knives
- Difficulty throwing a ball
- Plays roughly with others or constantly bumping into others
- When writing doesn't form words or letters well, or space out words
- Struggles going up and down stairs
- Has trouble with self care
- Trouble recognizing spatial objects - will tend to do poorly in geometry
- Difficulty learning to drive
- Trouble with tying shoes
- Trouble keeping balance
There are even more signs and symptoms practitioners and psychologists use to determine a diagnosis. Severity of the symptoms can vary from child to child. Patient Care Practitioners and/or Psychologists make a diagnosis based on a child's presenting symptoms.
When I learned about this diagnosis of J's, I had hoped this would be something he could receive treatment and then he would be cured. Unfortunately, this is a disorder he is going to struggle with his entire life. It will go with him into adulthood. However, there is hope. With proper treatment and interventions, J can learn to overcome some of his challenges and learn to compensate for some of the things he struggles with. He will have to receive occupational therapy every week. He will also have to do exercises everyday to help build his coordination and hopefully his confidence.
In the meantime, I will have to learn patience. The things I take for granted every day, he struggles with, some tasks more than others. It does not mean he is stupid, lazy, disrespectful, or defiant. It means I have to give him time, repeat things continuously, create visual reminders, and give him space.
J is not like other boys his age. He is smart, clever, and always willing to try. Yes, he has some challenges to overcome and many people will view him as "not normal." But that is okay, being normal is often overrated and quite boring.
Some examples of J's handwriting:
Some examples of J's handwriting:
References:
Caple, C. & March, P (2018). Apraxia, Development. CINAHL - Quick Lesson. Retrieved from CINAHL database.
Healthline (2016). The Truth Behind Clumsy Child Syndrome: Developmental Coordination Disorder. Retrieved from www.healthline.com.
Psychology Today (2017). Developmental Coordination Disorder. Retrieved from www.psychologytoday.com.
The Understood Team (2020). Understanding Developmental Coordination Disorder. Retrieved from www.understood.org.
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