Don’t Discount Your Child’s Clumsiness
Whether it’s learning to crawl, the first few unsteady steps, or learning how to hold a pencil, the process of learning motor skills as a child takes some time and is also accompanied by many unsteady steps. For some children, learning these skills can take much longer—a delay that, if left unaddressed, can have a range of long-term consequences for their social, emotional, and physical well-being.
Initially, this delay in motor skills may appear as clumsiness, but as many experts are beginning to understand, the consequences can affect various aspects of a child’s life.
Impaired developmental coordination makes it difficult to learn motor skills
Developmental coordination disorder , sometimes referred to as dyspraxia, is a neurodevelopmental disorder that makes it difficult to learn motor skills such as tying shoelaces, writing with a pencil, or learning new movements. Approximately five percent of children have the disorder, and although it does not go away, it can be helped with practice.
“Developmental coordination disorder is kind of like the motor version of executive dysfunction,” says Andrew Kahn , a licensed psychologist and behavioral expert at Understood , which offers support for people with learning disabilities. Executive function is the cognitive ability to plan, prioritize, and achieve goals. When developmental coordination is impaired, a person has problems planning and executing movements, which can lead to clumsiness and difficulty in learning new types of movements.
Untreated developmental coordination disorder can lead to long-term consequences
If left untreated, developmental incoordination can lead to other problems, whether it’s a child avoiding certain activities such as playing sports or using a pencil to write because they’re struggling, or a loss of self-esteem that can cause her own problems.
“With conditions like developmental incoordination, the longer they go untreated, the more problems we see,” Kahn says. In his experience with children, he noticed a pattern: “When I can’t, I will eventually tell you, ‘I won’t,’ and I will act to not do what is difficult for me.” me,” Kan said.
Whether they refuse to do their homework out of embarrassment at not being able to hold a pencil, or avoid the playground because they are clumsy, a child’s developmental coordination disorder can affect their physical and mental well-being in a variety of ways.
Interventions are multifaceted
When it comes to helping a child with a developmental disorder, there are several different options. As Kahn explains, there are several basic approaches that can help a child trying to learn certain motor skills.
The first basic approach is to help them master the physical skills they struggle with, whether it’s practicing gripping a pencil or learning how to tie their shoelaces. “We make physical breakdowns of the tasks we train over and over again for everyday life tasks,” says Kahn. This is usually done under the guidance of an occupational therapist who is experienced in finding ways to help a child learn these skills.
The second main approach is to find ways to change the environment to better suit their skills and needs. “It’s about finding suitability for the person,” Kahn says. An example would be allowing them to type their assignments instead of writing with a pencil, or allowing them to identify physical activity that matches their own skills. “A child who may not be coordinated for ball play may go cross-country,” Kahn says. “This can have huge benefits for self-esteem.”
How to get support for your child
If your child is struggling to learn certain skills, whether it’s walking, feeding on their own, or using a pencil, the first step is to talk to the pediatrician or the school so they can refer them to the appropriate services. such as occupational or physical therapy.
As Kahn points out, advocacy may be required to ensure your child has the right support. “Pediatricians are overworked, lack support and are underpaid and have to see so many children and families a day that there is a tendency to say give them time, let it be and we will see in time if they need something. Kan says. “The reality is that if your child shows distress because of differences in what they can do and what their peers can do, that’s a big trigger because that distress will lead to behavioral and emotional problems. We want to prevent this. I always tell parents, you are the first and best expert on your child. When you feel confident, strongly and kindly defend your position and insist on this assessment.