Task-focused sessions
Task-oriented approaches, which are widely recommended for DCD, break goals such as tying laces or catching a ball into learnable steps.
Dyspraxia and DCD assessment and therapy
Occupational therapy assessment and therapy for dyspraxia, also known as developmental coordination disorder (DCD), for children and adults in Newcastle and the North East who find coordination, handwriting and everyday physical tasks unusually hard.
- Standardised motor assessment
- Handwriting and coordination
- School and exam advice
- Children and adults
Request a quote
Tell us a little about what you need and we will be in touch to discuss the next steps.
What dyspraxia and DCD look like day to day
Developmental coordination disorder is the formal name for what many people in the UK still call dyspraxia. It affects how a person plans and coordinates movement, so physical skills that other children pick up quickly take much longer to learn and more effort to perform. Parents often notice a child who struggles with buttons, zips and laces, spills drinks, finds cutlery awkward, avoids ball games or takes far longer than classmates to learn to ride a bike.
At school, handwriting is often slow, untidy or tiring, copying from the board is hard and PE can knock a child's confidence. Many children with DCD also find it hard to organise their belongings and their work. None of this reflects intelligence or effort, and a clear assessment helps parents and teachers understand what is behind the difficulties.
Dyspraxia assessment through occupational therapy
A DCD assessment with Private Occupational Therapy looks at motor skills, handwriting and self-care in detail, and at how difficulties affect daily life at home and at school.
What the assessment involves
The therapist uses a standardised motor assessment, which compares a child's balance, ball skills and fine motor control with others of the same age. This is combined with a handwriting assessment, observation of everyday tasks such as dressing and using cutlery, and questionnaires completed by parents and, where possible, teachers. A school visit can be added if it would help.
How OT assessment contributes to a DCD diagnosis
Occupational therapy motor assessments provide key evidence for a DCD diagnosis. The diagnosis itself is usually confirmed by a paediatrician, who also considers medical history and rules out other explanations. With your consent, the report can be shared with your GP or paediatrician to support that process. A formal diagnosis is not usually made before about the age of five, although younger children can still be assessed and supported.
Your written report
Every Private Occupational Therapy report sets out the results in plain English, explains what they mean for daily life and lists practical recommendations for home and school. Parents often share it with the SENCO, and professionals such as paediatricians and educational psychologists can use it alongside their own findings.
Therapy
Therapy for handwriting, coordination and self-care
Therapy focuses on the specific tasks a child or adult wants or needs to do, practised in a structured, encouraging way.
Handwriting and keyboard skills
Work on posture, grip and letter formation, with advice on when touch-typing or a laptop would serve better.
Dressing and mealtimes
Practical strategies and simple equipment for buttons, zips, laces and cutlery, practised at home.
Sport, play and confidence
Building the skills behind PE, playground games, swimming and cycling, to help a child join in with friends.
School
School strategies and exam support
Small changes in the classroom can reduce the physical load on a child with DCD and let their ability show.
Recommendations are written so that teachers and SENCOs can act on them straight away. They may cover seating, writing tools, recording work in other ways and adapting PE. The report can also inform decisions about exam access arrangements, which the school applies for. If a child needs more than the school can usually provide, an EHCP and school assessment sets out their needs in detail, and many children are seen through our paediatric occupational therapy service.
Recommendations often include
- Correct chair and desk height
- Pencil grips and sloped writing surfaces
- Reduced copying and printed notes
- Laptop use and touch-typing
- Adapted PE activities
- Visual checklists for organisation
Support for adults with dyspraxia
DCD continues into adulthood, and many adults were never assessed as children. Adults often describe difficulty with cooking, household tasks, learning to drive, handwriting at work or keeping organised. Private Occupational Therapy can assess how coordination difficulties affect daily life and recommend practical strategies, equipment and workplace adjustments. A report can support a conversation with your GP about diagnosis, or a request for reasonable adjustments at work through our return to work service or adult occupational therapy.
Process
How a DCD assessment works
No GP referral is needed. Appointments take place across Newcastle and the North East, and our fees and funding page explains how families pay for assessment and therapy.
Enquiry
Tell us about the difficulties at home and school.
Initial conversation
We confirm whether a DCD assessment is appropriate and provide a quote.
Assessment
Standardised testing, handwriting and self-care observation, plus questionnaires.
Report and therapy
A written report with recommendations, followed by therapy if needed.
FAQs
Dyspraxia and DCD assessment questions
Can an occupational therapist diagnose dyspraxia?
Occupational therapists carry out the motor assessments that are central to a DCD diagnosis. The diagnosis is usually confirmed by a paediatrician, and the report can be shared with them.
What age can a child be assessed for DCD?
Children of any age can be assessed for motor difficulties. A formal DCD diagnosis is not usually made before about five, but earlier support can still help.
Is it worth an assessment if school says my child is fine?
If you see ongoing difficulties with dressing, handwriting or coordination, an assessment gives an objective picture that you can share with school.
Do you assess adults for dyspraxia?
Yes. Adult assessments focus on daily living, work and study, and the report can support conversations with your GP or employer.
Should my child stop handwriting and use a laptop?
Not necessarily. Many children benefit from both. The assessment helps decide which tasks suit handwriting and which suit typing.
Arrange a dyspraxia or DCD assessment
Send a few details about the difficulties you have noticed and we will reply by email with next steps and a quote.