Dyspraxia, also known as developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD), is a condition you are born with that mainly affects movement and co-ordination. It can also affect things like balance, spatial awareness, learning new skills, and planning and organising time. Many adults reach their twenties, thirties or later before anyone suggests dyspraxia, often after years of being called clumsy or disorganised.
A diagnosis isn’t essential for getting support at work, but it can help you make sense of your experiences and explain your needs to other people. Here’s how the process works in the UK.
Getting a diagnosis as an adult
Start with your GP
According to the NHS guidance on dyspraxia in adults, the first step is usually to see a GP. They’ll ask about the signs you’ve noticed and how they affect your daily life, and consider whether anything else could explain them. If dyspraxia seems likely, they may refer you to a specialist, such as an occupational therapist, for an assessment.
What the assessment looks at
A specialist assessment usually covers your history, including whether you had co-ordination differences as a child, and how your movement, balance and co-ordination affect everyday life now. The assessor may also want to speak to someone who knows you well, such as a family member, employer or teacher.
Waiting times and private assessments
What’s available on the NHS depends on where you live, and adult services vary a lot. You can also pay for a private assessment. If you go private, check the assessor’s qualifications and ask what the report will include before you book.
Preparing for your appointment
Arriving with notes makes the conversation easier. For a few weeks, keep a simple diary of moments when co-ordination, organisation or spatial awareness got in the way, whether at work, at home or out and about. Add anything you remember from childhood, dig out old school reports if you have them, and ask a family member what they recall about your early development.
Getting a diagnosis for a child
If you’re a parent, you can talk to a GP or health visitor, or to the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) at your child’s school. Your child may then be referred to an occupational therapist, paediatrician or another health professional. The NHS notes that a definite diagnosis doesn’t usually happen until a child is 5 or older, because children develop at different rates.
Writing down what you notice at home, and asking teachers what they see in class, gives professionals more to work with.
Who might be involved
Different professionals bring different expertise. Occupational therapists look at everyday tasks and fine motor skills. Physiotherapists focus on balance, posture and movement. For children, a paediatrician often looks at overall development. Who you see will depend on your age and your local services.
Support at work, with or without a diagnosis
You don’t need a formal diagnosis to ask your employer for changes. Employers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments when they know, or could reasonably be expected to know, that someone is disabled, and good employers will often make simple changes regardless. Find out more in am I entitled to reasonable adjustments while going through a diagnosis?
For practical ideas, see our list of reasonable adjustments for dyspraxia and our lived-experience tips for dyspraxia at work. Dyspraxia can also look different in women, which we cover in dyspraxia in women.
How Enna can help
Looking for a new role? Our guide to finding dyspraxia-friendly jobs pairs well with the Enna jobs board, where employers committed to neuroinclusion advertise their vacancies. If you’re an employer supporting someone with dyspraxia, a workplace needs assessment will pin down the adjustments that make the biggest difference, whether or not they have a diagnosis.
