Dyspraxia, also known as Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), is a condition that affects muscle coordination and perception (this can include balance, vision, memory, hearing and the awareness of where your limbs are in space).

It is a complex neurological condition which exists as a condition on its own, but is often found together with Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome or joint hypermobility.

Movement and fine motor co-ordination difficulties may manifest in being accident-prone, having difficulty with handwriting and body imbalance resulting in headaches. There may also be a range of co-occurring difficulties which could include challenges in planning, organising, completing tasks, pronunciation of some words, sequencing words, seeing words “shimmer” on a page and memory.

While Development Coordination Disorder is often regarded as an umbrella term to cover motor coordination difficulties, Dyspraxia refers to people who have the additional challenges outlined above and it affects up to four times more men than women.

Alongside these issues, Dyspraxics often have a highly developed critical function making them good at problem solving; have the potential to think very quickly and are instinctive communicators.