Why do I need an Assessment?

If you have noticed challenges with motor skills, which impact activities of daily living, in the first instance we advise you to have a medical review with the General Practitioner (GP) to discuss this, prior to seeking private assessment for Developmental Coordination Disorder.

 

A doctor (GP, paediatrician, neurologist) may wish to undertake other tests, to make sure that any other medical conditions, other than DCD, which may cause challenges with motor skills are ruled out.

 

An occupational therapy assessment with Dyspraxia UK will confirm if the symptoms are severe enough to meet the diagnostic criteria and help you learn about your condition, maybe in surprising ways.

 

The assessment report will help you and others around you at school, higher education and the workplace to understand your challenges better. In some cases, having reasonable adjustments can make all the difference between succeeding or failing at school, or higher education; being in work or unemployed. To make these personalised adjustments, educators and employers need to see evidence of the challenges and diagnosis.

 

When do I need an assessment?

 

Early Years

An assessment is useful at all stages of life, but the most beneficial time for a child is during their primary school years. So, ideally, during their school life, learning will be supported and needs will be met. In reality this rarely happens swiftly, due to waiting times in the NHS, which vary across the UK. An NHS GP referral to a child development centre is still advised, even if a decision is made to have a private assessment, to obtain support when available in your area.

 

School age children benefit for a clear diagnosis so that some provision can be put into place before they start to feel they are ‘failing’ due to slow writing, clumsiness or hypersensitivity.

 

Secondary school is a big time of transition for children with developmental coordination disorder and the larger buildings, crowds and frequent room changes can be seriously challenging to them.

 

This is an ideal time to get support for your child with a diagnosis and recommendations will get help with studying and more time in exams.

 

University and College

Many universities and colleges require an up-to-date Developmental Coordination Disorder assessment report prior to entry. This is so provision can be put into place by student support services in good time. The report will enable you to apply for Disabled Students Allowance (DSA), which can facilitate access to extra tuition, training and equipment if required.

 

To apply for DSA, you will need a post-16 Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD) report written by a qualified professional. If you suspect that you may have DCD, whilstin higher education, you can still get a diagnostic assessment. Reasonable adjustments can be made at a later date. The whole process is likely to take several months to put in place, so it is generally recommended that you do this before applying to university/college to get the maximum benefit. Some colleges/universities offer in-house testing so it worth investigating this with the student support department. If this service is not offered, Dyspraxia UK can provide an expert assessment and report with helpful strategies.

 

What are the benefits of diagnosis?

 

• Self knowledge
• Raising self esteem
• Getting support from others
• Success in education with the appropriate support
• Improved social relationships
• Support for problems at work and success at work
• Better outcomes of tribunals and disputes
• Understanding you are not ‘lazy’ or ‘stupid’
• Coping better with stress caused by sensory processing difficulties
• Understanding your child, and maybe yourself, better
• Educating others about Developmental coordination disorder, also referred to as DCD and Dyspraxia