(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

Developmental co-ordination disorder, commonly known as dyspraxia, is a condition that affects movement and co-ordination.

While dyspraxia does not affect intelligence, it can make daily life difficult.

According to the NHS, it can affect co-ordination skills – such as tasks requiring balance, playing sports or learning to drive a car – and fine motor skills, such as writing or using small objects.

If you have dyspraxia, you may have problems in the following areas: co-ordination, balance and movement, learning new skills, day-to-day living skills such as cooking meals or dressing, social situations, dealing with your emotions and being organised.


Dyspraxia is often diagnosed in childhood, but some people are undiagnosed until they reach adulthood. Boys are more likely to be diagnosed with dyspraxia than girls. It can run in families and it is thought that you are at a higher risk of developing it if you were born prematurely.



Unfortunately dyspraxia is often a poorly understood condition, and sufferers can feel isolated.

People with dyspraxia may also have other conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression, dyslexia or autism spectrum disorder.

Here, people share how dyspraxia affects their daily lives.

Jessica, 23

‘I was diagnosed with dyspraxia in Year 2 of primary school.

‘One of my teachers noticed I would spell a four-letter word four different ways in an essay but could spell ‘diplodocus’ right every time.

‘My parents took me to get diagnosed. Academically I wasn’t doing poorly so the school wouldn’t have got me tested.

‘I found things like catching balls in P.E. hard and just things such as taking directions literally. So when the swimming teacher said ‘put your nose to the bottom of the pool’ I would dive down and actually touch it to the bottom of the pool.

‘It isn’t something which I really notice now, being a bit clumsy and mixing things up is just part of me.

‘Some things just take longer to learn, but it has never meant that I couldn’t do anything.’

Kitt, 38

‘I was diagnosed when I was 26.

‘I’m always covered in bruises as I constantly walk into things. I often fall over and trip down the stairs.

‘Journeys on foot can be doubled due to the fact that I only cross roads at crossings. I can’t judge distances so I can’t tell when it’s safe to cross by myself.

‘I’ve also accidentally grabbed people’s breasts or head butted them when going in for a handshake.

‘I sometimes feel overwhelmed by positional information to the point where I just have to sit down and close my eyes.

‘I’m very slow with tasks involving both gross and fine motor skills but if I allow myself time then I have found that I’m able to develop some surprisingly precise skills – I am a paper cut artist making some very intricate hand cut work.

‘It’s all been about understanding that I need time to do some tasks and discovering that when I’m able to have that time, I can actually achieve great things.’



Lynn, 56

‘I was a case co-ordinator in a housing association working with young people. I was asked to be mobile

‘They asked me to consider buying and using a [motor] scooter. I knew I’d been unable to stay on a scooter and would surely kill myself or someone else on the roads.

‘Having to be mobile put stress on me and I contacted The Dyspraxia Foundation who were incredibly supportive, they encouraged me to go to my doctor for a diagnosis but they would not diagnose because it was an employment issue. I would have to get a private diagnosis.

‘Thankfully work requirements changed and we were then required to be positioned on sites and not to move around, [so] the mobile option in my contract was changed.

‘On a day to day basis, dyspraxia doesn’t affect my organisational skills but I do find negotiating left and right a problem, and using public transport in that my balance can sometimes feel a bit off and it’s difficult getting on and off.

‘Work opportunities can be limited due to the fact that I can’t drive and obviously harder to reach places can be a challenge.

‘The Dyspraxia Foundation encouraged me to focus on my positive skills – being creative, persistent, thinking outside the box, caring for others, and getting things done. I kind of knew a long time ago that I was making the most of these, but it felt good to put it all in perspective.’

Rachida, 30

‘I was diagnosed with dyspraxia when I was 17.


‘I’d always excelled academically, and although I had (and still do have) rather terrible handwriting, that was really the only issue.

‘One of my teachers took me to one side and asked why I had failed to write enough in a timed essay.

‘I replied that I just hadn’t had enough time to get everything out of my head on to the paper, and that I fully understood the task, and knew exactly what to write.

‘I told my mum, who decided that something wasn’t adding up.

‘We contacted an educational psychologist, who tested me for various conditions and he finally told us that I have dyspraxia.

‘After hours of researching, everything started to fit into place – the handwriting, the clumsiness, my rather amusing walk, the feeling of being overwhelmed, and I felt comforted that I could get support for things that I’d spent years dealing with.

‘I’m a writer by profession and I also run a PR & marketing agency, so dyspraxia hasn’t held me back at all. However, I do have to be very organised and make sure I keep on top of things.

‘I am always bumping into things, smashing glasses, dropping drinks, and bruising myself because I can’t judge my distance. In fact, I had around 250 driving lessons, and finally passed on attempt number five.

‘Having dyspraxia certainly can make things harder, but because it’s not as widely known or understood as dyslexia for example, people often don’t see it as a real condition – because they can’t see it, or because it’s funny when someone is accident-prone.


‘There really needs to be more awareness. It also absolutely does not need to hold you back from striving for your dreams, it’s a small part of you.’

Carly, 29

‘The main problem I have is clumsiness and this affects pretty much everything I do.

‘When I’m washing up for example, I don’t lift the plates high enough and I knock them together on the draining board.

‘I walk into things a lot, and doing make up is another thing I find quite difficult. I also find wearing heels hard because I feel self-conscious when I’m walking in them. It all used to affect me a lot, especially when I didn’t know what it was.

‘I’m more used to it now so I know why I’m always covered in bruises (from the doors and frames I walk into) and when I wash up I make sure I just pick the plates up higher.

‘I have just learnt to live with it rather then fight against it.’

Visit The Dyspraxia Foundation for more information on dyspraxia in children and adults.

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