What is Dyspraxia and how to address it?

What is Dyspraxia?

Praxis is the brain’s ability to think of, organize, and carry out a sequence of movements, especially ones that are new or unfamiliar, like imitating someone’s actions for the first time.

Dyspraxia is a condition that affects the ability to organize and execute movements in an adaptive way. It affects how the brain processes movement-related information. It can make everyday tasks – like using a pencil, dressing independently, or copying actions – much harder than they are for other children of the same age.

This is not because the child isn’t trying hard enough or because of laziness. Dyspraxia is a neurodevelopmental condition. That means the child’s brain works differently, especially in the areas related to coordination and planning movements.

Signs of Dyspraxia and everyday challenges

Children with dyspraxia may face challenges not just with motor skills but also with learning, language, visual processing, and emotional regulation. Here are some examples of what dyspraxia might look like in everyday life:

Fine and Gross Motor Skills

• Finding it challenging to button shirts, zip jackets, or tie shoelaces
• Facing challenges with using scissors, cutlery, or crayons
• Difficulty catching, throwing, or kicking a ball

Writing and Classroom Tasks

• Slower pace of writing
• Difficulty holding a pencil with the right grip
• Avoiding written tasks or appearing to give up quickly

Motor Planning

• Knowing what they want to do but getting “stuck” halfway through
• Seeming clumsy or uncoordinated
• Taking longer to learn new physical routines, like sports or dance steps

Early Developmental Signs

• Challenges in learning through imitation during toddler years
• Delayed milestones like crawling, walking, or talking
• Seeming to get overwhelmed when asked to follow instructions involving more than one step

Exploring signs 

As you explore signs and symptoms of learning or developmental differences, it’s important to remember:

• No child will show every sign.
• Signs can look different in different settings—home, school, or outdoors.
• Many children may show occasional challenges with coordination or writing, especially when they’re tired or anxious. That doesn’t automatically mean they have a disability.
• But if multiple signs persist over time and interfere with daily life, it may be worth consulting a professional for further assessment.
  

It’s not about labeling your child – it’s about understanding them better and supporting them in ways that suit their learning and processing style.

Why early identification of Dyspraxia helps

Early identification of dyspraxia can help caregivers and educators understand that a child isn’t being “lazy” or “difficult”. They’re navigating real challenges that aren’t always visible. Early support can:

1. Boost the child’s confidence and reduce frustration

Children with dyspraxia often notice that tasks feel harder for them than for their peers. Without support, this can lead to self-doubt, withdrawal, or believing they’re “bad at everything.”

Early recognition allows caregivers and teachers to:

• Adjust expectations to the child’s pace
  
• Offer help before the child reaches a point of overwhelm
  
• Celebrate effort and progress, helping build a sense of achievement
  

This helps prevent a cycle of frustration and builds emotional safety.

2. Help the child build practical skills at their own pace

Children with dyspraxia often need a bit more time and support to learn everyday tasks that involve coordination – things like brushing teeth, tying shoelaces, riding a bicycle, or even sitting upright at a desk for long periods. Early identification means these challenges are recognized not as a lack of effort, but as a different way of processing and learning movements.

With that understanding in place, caregivers can introduce gentle, paced learning experiences that meet the child where they are.

3. Reduces misunderstanding and mislabelling

Without awareness of dyspraxia, a child’s struggles can sometimes be labeled as laziness, lack of motivation, or even behavioral concerns.

Early identification helps shift the lens from “What’s wrong with this child?” to “How can we support how this child’s brain works?”
This shift:

• Encourages compassion and patience in adults
  
• Protects the child from negative labeling or harsh discipline
  
• Promotes inclusion instead of isolation

4. Equip families with the right strategies and tools

When families have access to the right tools, it becomes easier to support their child in ways that feel clear and empowering. Simple adjustments like using visual schedules, breaking tasks into smaller steps, and creating a calm, encouraging environment can make a big difference. Understanding how your child learns best—and working with that, not against it – helps build connection, reduces stress, and supports growth at their own pace.

Children with dyspraxia are often deeply intuitive, observant, and creative in their own ways—they just need different kinds of support to shine.

Simple at-home support strategies

Here are a few gentle ways to help and support your child:

• Break tasks down into small, manageable steps.
• Offer visual cues or checklists for daily routines.
• Acknowledge and validate efforts, not just outcomes 
• Use games and play to build coordination (like playing catch, dancing, or doing puzzles)
• Let them explore at their own pace – some children may just need a little more time and space to figure things out.

Related learning differences to explore

Sometimes dyspraxia coexists with other learning differences or developmental conditions. You may also want to learn about:

• Dyslexia – affects reading and language processing
• Dyscalculia – affects understanding of numbers and math
• Dysgraphia – affects handwriting and fine motor tasks
• Autism, ADHD, and Down Syndrome – may also share some overlapping features with dyspraxia, especially around coordination, regulation, and sensory processing
  

This helps in opening doors to the right support, accommodations, and learning environments that help them thrive.

Take a moment to also explore and learn about other Learning Disabilities such as Dyslexia, Dyscalculia and Dysgraphia.

If you have questions about Autism, Down Syndrome, ADHD, or other intellectual disabilities, or have concerns about developmental delays in a child, the Nayi Disha team is here to help. For any questions or queries, please contact our FREE Helpline at 844-844-8996. You can call or WhatsApp us. Our trained counselors speak different languages including English, Hindi, Malayalam, Gujarati, Marathi, Telugu, and Bengali.

DISCLAIMER: This guide is intended to raise awareness and provide basic information about dyspraxia and related concerns. It is not a diagnostic tool. Please consult a qualified health practitioner for proper guidance.