Warning: Girls with dyspraxia ‘sliding under radar’

Dyspraxia, otherwise known as developmental co-ordination disorder, is a common disorder affecting fine and/or gross motor coordination in both children and adults.

A study commissioned by the Dyspraxia Foundation to mark Dyspraxia Awareness Week this week (October 11 to 17) has revealed that schools are more likely to be aware of the condition in boys than girls.

Involving almost 550 adults with dyspraxia and the parents of 620 children with dyspraxia, the research found that while 70 per cent of the 550 adult respondents were female, only 28 per cent of the parents responding had daughters with the condition.

Also, 47 per cent of the adult female respondents said their secondary school teachers were unaware of their condition – compared to 32 per cent of males. At primary school, 53 per cent of the female respondents said their teachers were unaware, compared to 39 per cent of the males.