Developmental Coordination Disorder Physiotherapy in Barrhaven, Ottawa
Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) affects motor planning and coordination and can make everyday movement, play and sport more difficult than expected for a child's age.
What Is Developmental Coordination Disorder?
Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) affects motor planning and coordination and can make everyday movement, play and sport more difficult than expected for a child's age. Children develop at different rates, so assessment focuses on your child’s individual movement, function, developmental history and goals rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
Common Signs and Symptoms of Developmental Coordination Disorder
Symptoms can vary from person to person and may have more than one possible cause. A physiotherapy assessment helps determine what may be contributing to yours.
- Frequent difficulty with coordinated movement
- Challenges with running, jumping, stairs or ball skills
- Difficulty learning new physical skills
- Reduced confidence participating with peers
What May Contribute to Developmental Coordination Disorder?
There is not always one single cause. Symptoms may reflect a combination of tissue irritation, movement demands, previous injury, strength, mobility and other individual factors.
A neurodevelopmental difference affecting motor coordination
Difficulty planning and learning movement skills
Secondary strength or balance limitations
Reduced participation caused by repeated difficulty with physical tasks
When Should You Consider Physiotherapy?
A paediatric physiotherapy assessment may be helpful when movement, coordination, walking or participation concerns are affecting play, school, sport or everyday activities.
- Movement or coordination challenges are affecting play, school, sport or daily routines
- Walking, balance, stairs, running or jumping look different from peers or are becoming difficult
- Your child avoids activities because they feel hard or frustrating
- Teachers, caregivers or healthcare providers have raised movement or motor concerns
- You want practical ideas for building strength, coordination, confidence and participation
- You want a clearer understanding of your child’s current movement abilities and next steps
Your Developmental Coordination Disorder Assessment and Recovery Plan
We focus on participation and functional goals using age-appropriate activities that build movement skills, strength, balance, coordination and confidence.
Listen
We learn about your child’s strengths, challenges, routines and the activities that are most important to your family.
Assess
We observe relevant movement skills such as balance, walking, running, coordination, strength and functional tasks.
Practice
Therapy uses age-appropriate exercises, games and movement practice chosen around your child’s goals and tolerance.
Progress
We adapt activities as skills improve and share practical ways to support progress at home and in everyday routines.
What to Expect at Your First Appointment
Your child’s first visit begins with a conversation about the activities that are easy, difficult or frustrating. We then use age-appropriate movement tasks to understand strength, balance, coordination and functional skills. You will leave with an explanation of what we observed and practical next steps for supporting participation and confidence.
Developmental Coordination Disorder FAQ
Can physiotherapy help with Developmental Coordination Disorder?
Physiotherapy can help assess the movement, strength, mobility and functional factors connected with your symptoms. Treatment depends on what we find and may include exercise, education, movement retraining, hands-on care and other appropriate options.
What happens at my first appointment?
We review your symptoms, history and goals, assess the movements and activities that are relevant to you, explain our findings, and discuss an individualized treatment and rehabilitation plan.
How long does recovery take?
Recovery time varies depending on the condition, how long symptoms have been present, your overall health, activity demands and how your body responds to treatment. We track progress and adjust the plan as needed.
When should I book an assessment?
Consider an assessment when symptoms are limiting movement, sleep, work, exercise or everyday activity, when the problem keeps returning, or when you are unsure how to progress safely.
Services That May Be Considered
Your treatment plan depends on your assessment, goals and stage of recovery. These services may be considered when clinically appropriate.