Where and how is a dyspraxia assessment completed?
Dyspraxia assessments usually take place in a clinic near Barnsley, South Yorkshire, with Kerry Delaney. Kerry is a highly specialist occupational therapist, qualified for almost 20 years. Kerry has undergone extensive post graduate training in sensory processing difficulties and dyspraxia.
The dyspraxia assessment follows guidelines and best practice set out by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists and the European Academy of Childhood Disability. The assessment uses standardised tools to assess against the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for Developmental Coordination Disorder.
How will I know if me or my child have dyspraxia?
Our comprehensive assessments can identify if a person meets the criteria for dyspraxia, also known as Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). Any difficulties must have been present from early childhood and there must be evidence of these difficulties being present from a young age.
Below are common difficulties experienced by people with dyspraxia.
If your difficulties are new, or getting worse, then you must consult your GP.
Do you or your child experience any of the following:
- difficulty learning new movement-based activities such as learning to ride a bike or scooter, using a knife and fork, tying laces, handwriting or dance/keep fit routines
- difficulty planning movements
- bumping into objects or people frequently
- clumsiness
- difficulty with activities requiring good balance
- fidgeting or unable to stay still
- is easily excited
- late to establish hand dominance at school, frequently swapping hands when drawing or writing
- struggle to understand verbal instruction
- difficulties with organisation, planning, prioritising and time management
- difficulty concentrating
- struggle to multitask
- struggle to remember more than a few pieces of information
- slow at organising belongings, getting dressed, preparing means or other multistage tasks
Dyspraxia in school and education settings
Dyspraxia affects movement, cognitive skills and executive functioning such as planning and organisation. School age children with dyspraxia often:
- have difficulty with handwriting
- have difficulties taking part in PE, including changing clothes and joining in team games
- find it difficult to sit and concentrate
- find it difficult to copy from the board
- lose belongings
- have difficulty organising their workplace
- are late to lesson
- have difficulty concentrating
- find it difficult to fit in with peers due to focus on physical activities they struggle to join in with such as sports, chase games or gymnastics
Dyspraxia at work
As an adult, people with dyspraxia tend to find work roles which match their strengths, but are often affected by the hidden aspects of dyspraxia, such as cognitive functions. Cognitive and processing difficulties may make it difficult to meet deadlines, manage tasks and process information from multiple sources.
People may continue to find learning new motor tasks difficult or continue to feel “clumsy”, frequently dropping and breaking things and have bumps and falls. These difficulties contribute to low confidence and mental health difficulties, including anxiety.
Dyspraxia at home and in the community
Dyspraxia affects activities within the home including:
- Personal care activities such as grooming tasks, dressing and managing clothes and fastenings
- Domestic activities such as cooking and cleaning, home organisation and home management tasks. This is often due to difficulties with fine motor skills, balance, and cognitive skills, such as organisation and planning.
- Leisure activities can be affected such as learning to swim and ride a bike. People with dyspraxia tend not to participate in sports and active pursuits due to their difficulties with motor skills.
Adults and adolescents may struggle to learn to drive, to use tools such tin openers, sewing equipment or DIY tools due to the motor skills and coordination needed to use them. Social participation can be affected when friends are taking part in physical activities such as team sports, social gatherings requiring organisation and planning skills and coping in larger groups.
Constant challenges carrying out day-to-day activities and associated negative thoughts can affect mental health and wellbeing. Dropping or breaking things, being late, bumping into things or people and falling over can bring about feelings of self-doubt, low confidence and gradual disengagement in challenging activities and social participation.
Common questions
