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Indicators of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) have been separated into age groups. Click on each section below to get more information about a specific age group.
Click on the document below to download indicators for all ages.
Indicators of DCD All Ages.pdfSigns of DCD in early years
Information adapted from Understood.org
Signs of DCD in early years
Has trouble holding and using utensils
Has a hard time figuring out how to hold a bowl and scoop out the food
Has trouble learning to pedal or steer a tricycle or bike with training wheels
Has trouble throwing a ball
Is afraid to play ball games, like tossing a soft or squishy ball back and forth
Plays too roughly or often bumps into or pushes other kids by accident
Has trouble making hand motions and actions that go along with songs like “The Wheels on the Bus” and “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”
Has trouble sitting upright or still
Signs of DCD in KS1
Signs of DCD in KS1
Information adapted from Understood.org
Signs of DCD in KS1
Signs of DCD in KS1
Struggles with puzzles and building blocks
Has trouble holding a pencil for writing or drawing
Fumbles with scissors and struggles to cut out shapes
Often bumps into people and things
Moves awkwardly and slowly, and may trip and fall a lot
Struggles with buttons and zippers
Often drops things
Has trouble jumping, hopping, and skipping
Hasn’t developed left- or right-hand dominance (using one hand for most activities)
Has a hard time copying notes from a board or other paper
Doesn’t correctly form letters or space them on the lines
Is slow to learn how to ride a bike without training wheels, or doesn’t learn at all
Has trouble with self-care routines like getting dressed and brushing teeth
Signs of DCD in KS2 & KS3
Signs of DCD in KS2 & KS3
Information adapted from Understood.org
Signs of DCD in KS2 & KS3
Signs of DCD in KS2 & KS3
Writes with poor spacing between letters and words
Writes letters in different sizes
Takes a long time to write
Has trouble gripping a pencil and forming letters
Struggles to line up columns when doing math problems
Finds it hard to imitate movements in gym class or extracurricular sports
Frequently bumps into people
Often trips and falls
Has difficulty cutting foods
Has trouble with visual-spatial tasks, like moving game pieces on a board
Struggles with basic routines, like packing a backpack or getting dressed
Signs of DCD in Highschool
Signs of DCD in Highschool
Information adapted from Understood.org
Signs of DCD in High School
Struggles with the visual-spatial aspects of maths, like geometry
Has trouble with sports that involve hand-eye coordination, like softball or table tennis
Trips and falls more often than other teens
Often bumps into people and things
Struggles to open the latch on a locker or use a combination lock
Avoids or struggles with texting and typing
Struggles to prepare simple foods, like a sandwich
Has trouble learning to drive (manoeuvring a steering wheel or judging distances, like how close another car is when changing lanes)
Shies away from activities like sports or dancing
If you have concerns about your student potentially having dyspraxia/ DCD you can use the checklist below as an initial assessment of need. Click on the top right corner to download a PDF copy.
Copy of Dyspraxia checklist.pdfClick below for further information:
Dyspraxia / DCD: Further Learning
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