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Physical Therapy for Dyspraxia (DCD): A Parent's Guide

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Reviewed by Dr. Eva Lassey, PT, DPT · View full bio → · Last updated August 28, 2026 · How we write and who reviews it

Physical therapy for children with dyspraxia — developmental coordination disorder — addresses gross motor planning, coordination, balance, and the participation that motor difficulty affects. International clinical practice guidelines name physical therapy among the effective approaches, alongside task-oriented methods and motor training programs. As with occupational therapy, the evidence favors working directly on the activities a child wants to do rather than on underlying components. The guidelines also recommend attention to physical fitness, because children with DCD frequently become less active than peers — which compounds the original difficulty. Participation and confidence matter as much as the motor skills themselves.

Key takeaways

  • Dyspraxia is developmental coordination disorder, and international clinical practice guidelines name physical therapy among the effective approaches.
  • The work covers gross motor planning and sequencing, balance and postural control, and ball skills, running, jumping and climbing.
  • Physical fitness is specifically named in the guidelines, not added as a general health point.
  • Participation in PE, playground and sport is a goal in its own right rather than a by-product.
  • Confidence erodes quickly with motor difficulty, which is why opting out becomes the pattern before the skill does.
  • Goals stay observable: catches a ball thrown from three meters, joins a playground game for a full break, completes a PE lesson without opting out, rides a bike.

This page covers what physical therapy does for dyspraxia and developmental coordination disorder. For what the diagnosis covers and how it is made, see Dyspraxia and developmental coordination disorder.

What PT addresses here

Gross motor planning and sequencing · balance and postural control · ball skills, running, jumping, climbing · physical fitness, specifically named in the guidelines · participation in PE, playground, and sport · confidence, which motor difficulty erodes quickly

The fitness point

Children with DCD frequently become less physically active than peers, because physical activity is harder and less rewarding. That reduces fitness, which makes activity harder still.

The international recommendations address this directly, including physical fitness in intervention planning. Breaking the cycle matters as much as any individual skill.

Also mentioned in the guidelines: active video games as a possible adjunct to activity-oriented intervention, in supervised or group settings.

Goals

Catches a ball thrown from three meters · Joins a playground game for a full break · Completes a PE lesson without opting out · Rides a bike

Frequently Asked Questions

Does PT help dyspraxia?
Yes — international guidelines name physical therapy among effective approaches, alongside task-oriented methods and motor training.
Should we work on coordination generally or specific skills?
Specific. The evidence favors task-oriented approaches working directly on the activities a child wants to do.
My child avoids all sport. Does that matter?
Yes, and it's common. Reduced activity lowers fitness, which makes activity harder — the guidelines address fitness specifically.
Do we need both OT and PT?
Often. OT typically leads on handwriting, dressing, and fine motor; PT on gross motor, balance, and participation.

Sources

  1. Blank R, Barnett AL, Cairney J, et al. International clinical practice recommendations on the definition, diagnosis, assessment, intervention, and psychosocial aspects of developmental coordination disorder. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. 2019;61(3):242–285. doi:10.1111/dmcn.14132 (PMID 30671947)

Disclaimer. For general educational purposes; not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Speak to a qualified clinician about your child.