By Amanda Lee March 22, Elodie often bumped into other kids or furniture and had little bruises on her legs. For the most part, clumsiness in toddlers is normal as they are still learning about how to move their bodies. However, there are signs that could suggest something bigger is going on.
Janice Heard, a community paediatrician and clinical assistant professor at the University of Calgary, explains that when toddlers start walking, they have a wide gait to help keep their balance. Parents should watch to see if their kids are toddling equally back and forth or if they seem to favour one side. An unbalanced gait could point to a weakness of one of the hip or leg muscles , or a sore foot or joint, or they may have an injury.
It could also be an indication of an autoimmune disease. Around three in a thousand Canadian children have childhood arthritis, according to the Arthritis Society.
Parents may also notice that their child often drops toys or misses the chair when they try to sit. Sort of like when you learn to drive. Some children with DCD have difficulty co-ordinating the movements required to produce clear speech.
Page last reviewed: 28 August Next review due: 28 August Home Health A to Z Developmental co-ordination disorder dyspraxia in children Back to Developmental co-ordination disorder dyspraxia in children. Problems in infants Delays in reaching normal developmental milestones can be an early sign of DCD in young children.
You may also notice that your child: shows unusual body positions postures during their 1st year has difficulty playing with toys that involve good co-ordination, such as stacking bricks has some difficulty learning to eat with cutlery These signs might come and go.
Problems in older children As your child gets older, they may develop more noticeable physical difficulties, plus problems in other areas. Movement and co-ordination problems Problems with movement and co-ordination are the main symptoms of DCD. When teaching shoe tying, make sure your child can independently complete the first step of making the knot. Use pictures or video modeling to illustrate the sequence of steps in doing a difficult task. Use multi-sensory teaching.
Add songs, movements, scents, and textures to learning a new task. Use a song or rhyme when learning to tie shoes. When learning how to form letters, trace a letter onto sandpaper, paint it, or form it with scented dough. Create an obstacle course in or outside your home. Have your child try to complete the course without shoes to stimulate sensory receptors in the feet.
Add beanbags, soft mats, swings, and cut pool noodles in half to make balance beams. Purchase a scooter board. The obstacle course builds motor skills in a fun way. Allow children to use pencil grips, scissors with self-opening handles, and other therapeutic tools that hone fine motor skills. Begin with verbal and physical cues, then ask your child to name the next step. Having both dyspraxia and ADHD is frustrating to anyone. If our body does not move the way we want it to, behavioral problems may occur.
If you think your child has dyspraxia, contact a pediatrician, psychiatrist, or educational psychologist. While occupational therapists are among the team of professionals who assist in the evaluation and treatment of dyspraxia, OTs cannot make a diagnosis alone. You must be logged in to post a comment. It appears JavaScript is disabled in your browser. Please enable JavaScript and refresh the page in order to complete this form.
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