# Developmental Coordination Disorder - Category: chronic - Review status: reviewed (every claim checked against a document named on this page) - Sources: ICPC-3 (WONCA International Classification of Primary Care, 3rd edition) class PS20.00 - condition scope only, no dose · No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care - Verified date: 2026-08 ## Verified against - No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care ## Treatment metadata - No drug therapy in primary care (Referral & Advice) ## Complete treatment card ```text DEVELOPMENTAL COORDINATION DISORDER Sources: ICPC-3 (WONCA International Classification of Primary Care, 3rd edition) class PS20.00 - condition scope only, no dose · No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care Review status: REVIEWED against the source listed above (2026-08) IS IT THIS? - reference only, to read alongside your own examination SYMPTOMS - what the patient reports (6) - Consider this in a school-age child with delayed milestones or academic struggles [developmental delay] - Children may pause writing for over 10 seconds at a stretch without the extra time improving the quality of what they produce - Though able to form sentences, the child struggles to translate thought into writing, which drags out the task - The child leans heavily on watching their own hand and needs extra time to complete motor tasks like handwriting accurately - Symptoms must have started early in development - The clumsiness gets in the way of daily self-care tasks, schoolwork, and play appropriate for the child's age SIGNS - what you find (5) - Exam may turn up choreiform or mirror movements of the limbs along with other signs of poor coordination - The exam must show the incoordination is not explained by a separate neurological condition affecting the spinal, cerebellar, extrapyramidal, or peripheral nerve pathways [unsteadiness] - Movements take noticeably longer and are less accurate than in unaffected children - Motor skill attainment falls well short of what is expected for the child's age and prior practice - The motor problem cannot be better explained by intellectual disability, poor vision, or another neurologic or neuromuscular disease such as cerebral palsy [intellectual disability · paralysis] TESTS (5) - The DCDQ-R parent questionnaire carries evidence level 2 support for use in diagnosis - The DASH tool objectively times four aspects of handwriting speed: best copying, fast copying, writing the alphabet, and ten minutes of free writing - Standardized motor batteries such as the MABC-2 and BOT-2 measure motor competence, though their use is limited past adolescence - No lab or imaging test is specifically recommended for diagnosis, though thyroid testing or an MRI can help check for another or coexisting condition - Near-infrared spectroscopy of cortical activity during fine motor tasks is used in research into the condition IF NOT THIS - what else fits (2) - The list of look-alikes is broad, including cerebral palsy, ADHD, autism, intellectual disability, muscular dystrophy, sensory processing disorder, a learning disorder, anxiety, metabolic disease, epilepsy, and brain tumors - Findings such as skin birthmarks, visual problems, musculoskeletal abnormality, abnormal tone, weakness, ataxia, or unusual movements should prompt a look for another cause such as a tumor Source StatPearls "Developmental Coordination Disorder (Dyspraxia)" - disease-level clinical article Status traced to the source above 1. NO DRUG THERAPY IN PRIMARY CARE (REFERRAL & ADVICE) [1st line] Adult Significant delay and impairment in acquiring gross and fine motor coordination skills in a child, causing clumsiness or slow, inaccurate movement; there is no drug treatment, so management is referral for occupational therapy/physiotherapy assessment and school support. - Refer, with advice Peds Children follow the same pathway: recognise and refer. No primary-care medicine is implied. Source No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care Why Significant delay and impairment in acquiring gross and fine motor coordination skills in a child, causing clumsiness or slow, inaccurate movement; there is no drug treatment, so management is referral for occupational therapy/physiotherapy assessment and school support. Caution No medicine is prescribed for this in primary care - this entry is for recognition and referral. Anything given is decided by the service it is referred to. RED FLAG - Loss of motor skills the child had already gained, which suggests a different, progressive neurological condition, or associated global developmental delay: refer for wider assessment. Prices are indicative (dataset snapshot 2026-06); verify with the pharmacy. ``` --- Dawaa Reference is a reference for prescribers, not a medical device, and does not replace clinical judgement. [Privacy policy](/privacy)