Developmental dyspraxia is a disorder characterized by challenges surrounding motor functioning impacting movement and/or speech. Specifically, a child’s ability to plan and carry out both sensory and motor tasks is problematic. Dyspraxia is not caused by a weakness or paralysis, per se, but rather it is caused by a neurological abnormality (or damage) of the part of the brain that controls the muscles of the body. Hypotonia (i.e., floppy muscle tone) or muscle weakness can be sometimes present, though this may indicate a primary neurological condition such as cerebral palsy (i.e., brain injury at birth or shortly after).
Symptoms vary and may include poor posture, balance and coordination, clumsiness, perception difficulties, emotional and behavioral problems, challenges with speaking, reading, writing, and/or memory. Co-occurring sensory processing challenges (e.g., sensitivity to touch or loud noises, food aversion, etc.) are often seen among these children as well. Generally, children with the developmental dyspraxia struggle with proprioception, meaning that they are often “out of sync” with their environment. Typically, these children step on other’s toes, bump into others, invade personal space, and have problems executing daily motor tasks (e.g., buttoning, dressing, riding a bike, etc.). Although individuals with developmental dyspraxia often have average intelligence, they may behave immaturely and struggle socially. Given these symptoms, children with developmental dyspraxia are often mistakenly diagnosed with autism or another pervasive developmental disorder.
Children very often benefit from occupational and speech/language therapy, as well as other forms of behavioral intervention.