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The Dyspraxia Assessment

FOR CHILDREN AGED 5 YEARS TO 15 YEARS

The Dyspraxia Assessment

I specialize in the assessment and treatment of children with Dyspraxia / Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) and other coordination problems.

The Dyspraxia Assessment is suitable for children aged 5 years – 15 years.
My Dyspraxia Assessments are very comprehensive, include a full report and can assist in providing a diagnosis of Dyspraxia / Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD).
Please note that for a diagnosis of DCD to be given, European Academy of Childhood Disability (EACD) guidelines state that the involvement of a paediatrician is necessary to exclude other conditions that could account for the motor problems and to ensure that any overlapping conditions (such as Attention Deficit (Hyperactive) Disorder (ADD/ADHD), Autism and Aspergher’s Syndrome) are identified so that appropriate support can be put in place.
The Dyspraxia Assessment also highlights the child’s specific areas of difficulty and thus enables individualised advice and treatment to be given.
The Dyspraxia Assessment lasts approximately 3 to 4 hours and most children find it to be fun.
comprehensive & thorough assessment

The Dyspraxia Assessment consists of a number of components, including:

Movement Skills

The Movement Assessment Battery for Children (Movement ABC-3) forms an important part in the diagnostic process. This test identifies children with motor difficulties and involves a series of tasks divided into three components: manual dexterity, aiming and catching, and balance. European Academy of Childhood Disability (EACD) guidelines recommend that a child scoring at or below the 16th percentile on this standardised assessment of motor skills may qualify for a diagnosis of DCD.

Neurological Screening
The Quick Neurological Screening Test, Third Edition (QNST-3) consists of a series of 15 tasks that have been adapted from standard traditional neurological exams and developmental scales and are used to assess the development of motor coordination and sensory integration.
Handwriting
Handwriting is assessed through the use of both structured clinical observations and the Detailed Assessment of Speed of Handwriting (DASH). The DASH is a standardised handwriting assessment which allows evaluation of all aspects of handwriting productivity compared to peer group and identification of the impact of varying environmental and academic pressures on productivity levels.
Visual Perception
A number of studies have documented an association between Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) and visual-perceptual challenges. The Test of Visual Perceptual Skills, Fourth Edition (TVPS-4) is administered to assess two-dimensional visual-perceptual skills without requiring a motor response.
Intelligence Test
The Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (Second Edition) is administered in order to determine the child’s intellectual ability and verify that any motor coordination problems are not due to more pervasive developmental problems.
Primitive Reflexes
Primitive Reflexes are assessed since retained Primitive Reflexes can have an impact on movement, learning, emotions, sensory processing and behaviour.
Hypermobility
Since there is a strong association between disorders of hypermobility and Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), joint mobility is assessed using the Beighton Hypermobility Score, which quantifies joint laxity and hypermobility.
Clinical Observations
Structured clinical observations are made through the observation of specific movements and activities appropriate to the age of the child.
Questionnaires

Questionnaires (which are completed by the child’s parents and/or teacher prior to the Dyspraxia Assessment) also play an important role in the diagnostic process. These include the Movement ABC-3 Checklist which is used to ascertain whether there is significant interference with academic achievement or activities of daily living.

diagnostic criteria

The DSM V diagnostic criteria for Developmental Co-Ordination Disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) are:

A. Motor performance that is substantially below expected levels, given the person’s chronologic age and previous opportunities for skill acquisition. The poor motor performance may manifest as coordination problems, poor balance, clumsiness, dropping or bumping into things; marked delays in achieving developmental motor milestones (e.g., walking, crawling, sitting) or in the acquisition of basic motor skills (e.g., catching, throwing, kicking, running, jumping, hopping, cutting, colouring, printing, writing).

B. The disturbance in Criterion A, without accommodations, significantly and persistently interferes with activities of daily living or academic achievement.

C. Onset of symptoms is in the early developmental period.

D. The motor skill deficits are not better explained by intellectual disability (intellectual development disorder) or visual impairment and are not attributable to a neurological condition affecting movement (e.g., cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, degenerative disorder).

Book Now

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Dyspraxia Assessments take place on Saturdays and Sundays at The Partnership Centre in Ashford, Kent, TN24 8DH.

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Dyspraxia Assessments are priced at £795 and include a full written report.

Clinical Psychologist & Parent of 15 year old

“As a diagnostician I was very selective in my choice of dyspraxia assessor for my son and I have to say that I’m feeling very smug about my discernment. Fiona was excellent, thorough, thoughtful and incredibly helpful.

She was also good at putting my son at ease and guiding him through hours of tasks that he was necessarily never going to find easy. Both he and I found the process illuminating in itself. Getting an outcome consistent with a diagnosis of DCD proved to be the key to finally persuading his school to assess his processing speed, which was, unfortunately impaired, but he now has extra time in place just in the nick of time for his GCSEs. Also with the invaluable information from Fiona’s comprehensive report we have been able to work on integrating a specific reflex and improving his physical skills, which wasn’t something that either of us felt at all confident about previously. I can recommend Fiona without reservation and will be doing the same to my own clients with needs in this area!”

READ MORE TESTIMONIALS

Questions?

If you have any questions or concerns about your child, or if you would prefer me to contact you via email, please use the form below to get in touch.

I aim to reply to all queries within 48 hours.

Book a FREE Consultation

Book a free 15-minute telephone consultation to chat about your child’s symptoms, find out what a Dyspraxia Assessment involves and learn how I can help your child.