Thanks for asking.
Developmental Coordination Disorder is another diagnosis in the same range as the other developmentally-based dxes... from ADHD to Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Like ADHD, it is a stand-alone diagnosis, but the symptoms of the disorder are also part of the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) definitions... So, if you know what the motor skills problems look like in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) kids, this is roughly the same problem... without the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). For the record, about 50% of the kids who have ADHD, also have Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). We don't know what proportion of the general population has Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) but we do know that people can have Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) and not have ADHD.
It can affect gross motor skills, fine motor skills, OR both.
- A person can be a star athlete... and have trouble writing, dressing, tieing shoes etc.
- Or, a person can be a total KLUTZ (i.e. me...) and still have fine motor skills that are from average to exceptional. I do needlework, play musical instruments, have workable handwriting (not pretty, but effective). These people bump into others, knock stuff off desks/tables/shelves, step on toes, have trouble riding a bike or throwing a ball...
- OR... the poor person can't do anything right. Yes, it can be that bad.
But it is not a disability, it is a disorder. There is nothing wrong with the limbs, muscles, ligaments, or nerves. The problem is in the brain. Its not due to injury, its just the way the brain is wired. The part of the brain that controls motor action and takes in motor feedback... is faulty. It is as though it doesn't get clear signals, doesn't give clear signals, or takes way too much brain-power to figure out what to do. Given enough appropriate instruction and enough practice, many skills can be learned. But this comes at a very high cost. There is only so much time, and so much energy, and... if learning basic skills takes something like 10x the effort over average kids... there isn't enough time and energy to learn everything on the motor-skills spectrum. There is also a significant fatigue factor. Research into Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) and fatigue is really just getting started.
Really, its been known for generations, under various names - like "clumsy child syndrome". Until more recently, nobody bothered putting much effort into understanding it. If you want to search for information, "developmental dyspraxia" is an older term, still in use. Some of the more detailed web sites are either government or university linked, especially out of the UK, Austrailia, NZ and Canada. There's two universities (at least) in Canada that are involved in research in this area - McMasters, and University of Calgary. T
Dr. Amanda Kirby has some books out - these have a definite British flavor. She is an M.D. whose daughter has Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). Dr. Kirby is now a specialist in this disorder.
