Dyspraxia / DCD (Developmental Coordination Disorder)

Have you ever felt like your brain and your body are having a communication breakdown? Like you know exactly what you want to do, but somehow the message gets scrambled on its way to your hands or feet?

Welcome to dyspraxia — also called Developmental Coordination Disorder in medical settings, though many of us prefer the less clinical-sounding name.

Dyspraxia affects how your brain plans and coordinates movement. It’s not about being “clumsy” (though that’s the label many of us grew up with). It’s about your brain taking a slightly different route when it comes to connecting intentions with actions.

Here’s what it might feel like:

• You trip over things that aren’t there, or walk into doorframes you can clearly see
• Handwriting is exhausting and your letters never quite look how you want them to
• Buttoning shirts, tying shoelaces, or using chopsticks feels like advanced gymnastics
• You need more time to figure out which way to move your body in response to instructions
• Simple physical tasks leave you more tired than they probably should
• Sometimes planning a sequence of movements (like getting dressed) feels like solving a puzzle

For some people, dyspraxia also affects speech or the ability to plan out sequences of actions. Your brain might know exactly what it wants to say or do, but translating that into smooth, coordinated movement takes extra effort.

Here’s what I want you to understand: you’re not broken, careless, or lazy. Your brain is working just as hard as everyone else’s — it’s just taking a different route to get things done.

The frustrating thing about dyspraxia is that it can be really inconsistent. Some days you might be fine with a task, other days it feels impossible. Some movements come naturally, others never quite click. This inconsistency often means dyspraxia gets overlooked, especially in adults who’ve spent years developing creative workarounds.

There’s so much help available though — occupational therapy, adaptive tools, environmental adjustments. And honestly? In a world of voice-to-text, velcro shoes, and ergonomic everything, there’s no shame in using whatever makes life easier.

You’re not here to prove you can do things the “normal” way. You’re here to do things in whatever way works for your particular brain and body.