Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)
By: Dr. Paulene Kamps
Janey's clumsy, uncoordinated...a clutz.
Diagnosis offers new hope
Has your child ever been referred to as “physically awkward,”
“sloppy”, or “clumsy”? Have you ever described
your own son or daughter this way, or pushed the thought out of
your mind as Janey or Matt tipped over another glass of milk or
tripped over the ball on the soccer field? Were you hoping they'd
“grow out of it”?Such observations could be early warning
signals of a treatable problem.
If your son or daughter is of average to above average intelligence
and has no apparent physical or neurological conditions, yet experiences
difficulties with motor skills, he or she may have Developmental
Coordination Disorder (DCD). This is a condition recognized by the
American Psychiatric Association as well as the World Health Organization
(although the WHO has a slightly different name for this disorder).
DCD can affect a range of normal childhood activities from printing
or writing neatly to throwing a ball, from pouring liquids to keeping
time in the school band, and it can even curb the ability of kids
to participate in games, sports, and other recreational activities.
While the disorder is well-known internationally and has been researched
extensively since the mid 1990’s, it is seldom diagnosed in
North America. Some individuals refer to DCD as a ‘motor’
learning disability and its presence means that children cannot
simply watch, listen to and comprehend instructions, and learn motor
skills the same way as their peers. However, researchers now know
that with appropriate intervention children with DCD can acquire
many of the same skills as their non-affected peers.
How can you tell if your child has DCD? Your child might not have
difficulty performing all motor skills. For example, over time children
with DCD may be able to swim and use scissors, but they might still
struggle with tying their shoe laces, riding a bike, using a knife
and fork properly, running with a smooth gait, and/or hitting a
baseball. They may have difficulty only with large muscle activities
(gross motor skills) or only with fine motor skills (requiring the
use of hands and fingers), or they may have trouble with both.
Research indicates that approximately 6-9% of the population is
affected by DCD. Without diagnosis and intervention these children
may become socially ostracized or choose to isolate themselves.
But don't worry, there are specific ways to diagnose and treat both
children and teens with DCD, and importantly, intervention can have
beneficial results. Doctors, psychiatrists, and chartered psychologists
(especially who have background knowledge about DCD and it’s
impact on other domains of behaviour) can determine differences
between various types of conditions. And, after diagnosis, specific
"meta-cognitive" therapies - going beyond normal learning
processes - can be designed to teach children and teens with DCD
new ways of learning motor skills.
There is hope for your child on the baseball diamond.
Dr. Paulene Kamps is a kinesiologist and registered psychologist
who has extensive experience with children with learning difficulties
including DCD. She welcomes your questions at (403)217-5749 or by
e-mail: drkamps@telusplanet.net.
In addition, she has written a ‘Source’ book for LinguiSystems
on this topic. It is called The Source for Developmental Coordination
Disorder. It can be viewed and then ordered through the web link.
http://www.linguisystems.com/itemdetail.php?id=739
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