Dyspraxia can also be known as Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD). It is a condition which affects physical co-ordination that causes a child to perform less well than expected in daily activities for their age and appear to move clumsily.
Dyspraxia is a lifelong condition. It is thought to be more common in boys than girls, and the condition sometimes runs in families. Of those diagnosed, around 80% are male.
Dyspraxia is a brain-based condition that makes it hard to plan and co-ordinate physical movement. Children with this tend to struggle with balance and posture.
Dyspraxia is not due to muscle weakness and is not associated with low intelligence.
It can affect the development of gross motor skills like walking or jumping and can also affect fine motor skills needed in handwriting and mouth and tongue movements needed in pronouncing words clearly.