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Does my child have Developmental Coordination Disorder?

A Message for Parents

Occasionally, parents find their way to our website and contact me for more information about DCD. I try to help when I am able, but that is always less than I would like it to be. So, I will outline some very "generic" advice on what a family may want to do if they are concerned about their child's motor coordination:

  • Look for the services of an occupational therapist who specializes in children. OTs are employed in public and private schools, hospitals, and child development or treatment centers, through both public and private funding. Explain what areas of daily life that you and your child are struggling with.
  • If you do not find a therapist and your child is 5 years or older, you could download the DCDQ, complete it, and take it to your General Physician or Pediatrician. He or she will hopefully know where to refer your child for a complete motor assessment.
  • If your child is 3 or 4 years old, you may want to connect with your local children's treatment center, hospital or early intervention programs to see if the therapists working there have purchased a copy of the Little DCDQ.
  • This facebook page is just one of several other social media resources.
  • The CanChild group in Canada and the Movement Matters group in the UK also have resources for both families and professionals.

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Alberta Centre for Child, Family and Community Research in the development of the DCDQ and the Little DCDQ, and of the first web site.