Short answer: Dyspraxia and DCD are one in the same!
DCD and dyspraxia share a glaring problem; really they’re the same condition. Although, they officially have subtle differences which is why it’s difficult to define them properly.
What are the differences between Dyspraxia and DCD then? ( I hear you ask)
A valid question and one that doesn’t have an easy answer. Here’s a few of the differences;
1) Location:
Location is one of the major differences between dyspraxia and DCD; as different countries have different prefencess.
Dyspraxia: United Kingdom, several countries across Europe, Canada, and some other countries.
Developmental Co-ordination Disorder: USA (Although, the United Kingdom, Canada, and several other countries have adopted this term too.)
(Getting a more defined list together is an aim of mine)
2) Professional Opinion and Our Own preference:
It’s up to the professional on which diagnoses they decide on. This could be based on their own preference or picking which one sounds right for the indivdual. On the other hand, we all have our own opinions and prefences. This means it’s probably safe to assume that the majority of us stick to the diagnoses we’re given. However, which one do you prefer? Have you been diagnosed with one but prefer the other one instead? Iam interested to hear your prefences.
3) Medical Differences:
Medically speaking is where the subtle differences lie:
DCD: Focused more on the coordination difficulties and aspects surrounding it.
Dyspraxia: Focused on not just coordination difficulties, but other aspects as well. Speech, for example.
Clearing up the “Confusing Part”
It’s a tricky task finding information about dyspraxia and DCD. Although, as the Dyspraxia banner is the more popular choice, DCD dips out really. Although, any useful information under the DCD banner then dyspraxia misses out on that. To help bridge that gap, this page serves a linkway to connect them up.
Conclusion to the DCD and Dyspraxia bridge
There is a slight difference between dyspraxia and DCD, however in practice, both are extremely similar. This makes the information and guidance for them interchangeable, really. It really comes down to the professional or personal preference on which one to choose. As each person with dyspraxia or DCD are unique, a diagnoses only serves as a starting point. Unlike other condtions and syndromes, neither of these can sum up the individual properly. In short, outside of a professional’s diagnoses only an understanding of the diagnoses is required. The individual can fill in the gaps themselves, if required.
It’ll probably make things easier if the conditions were combined (Make it into a spectrum condition). Either that or make them both have defining symptons and make them both universally accepted. However, as I was diagnosed with dyspraxia, that’s the term I biasly lean towards. Also, Developmental Coordination Disorder Fantastic doesn’t have the same ring to it!
Hopefully, this has cleared up some ofthe fog surrounding DCD and if you would like more information then here’s a link for you:
Click this link for further reading