Research on children with Developmental Coordination Disorder / Dyspraxia
What is Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)?
It's the term used to refer to children who have movement difficulties that are unexplained by a general medical condition, intellectual disability or neurological impairment. Frequently described as "clumsy", children with DCD may have difficulties with the following:
At home:
- Dressing (manipulating buttons and zips, tying shoe laces)
- Learning to ride a bike
- Maintaining balance when negotiating stairs
At school:
- PE (throwing and catching, running and jumping)
- Handwriting
- Trips and falls in crowded places (classroom, playground)
DCD is commonly associated with other developmental disorders, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, specific language impairment and emotional and/or behavioural problems.
Our research
We focus our DCD research on children aged 5-16 years. In particular, we want to learn about DCD in the context of important childhood skills such as handwriting, ball skills and cycling and how we can help develop fundamental movement skills such as balance. If your child visits us to take part in a project they'll be fully assessed in line with the DSM-5 criteria for DCD. We'll provide a report for the parent which summarises the findings of the assessment.
Current research projects
Virtually fall free: at-home balance training using virtual reality in children with DCD
Across 2026, we're running a research project funded by the Waterloo Foundation that's using virtual reality technologies to deliver fun, gamified balance training for children with DCD in the home setting. If you'd like your child to take part in this research, please provide your contact information and brief information about your child using our sign up form. The research team will get in contact shortly to arrange participation.
For more information on this research project, please visit our project page:
Virtually fall free project page