Margo Fourman
Despite working in education and being a teacher her entire life, Margo struggled with severe dyslexia and dyspraxia for most of her life. At age 50 she finally discovered how to turn her disability into a superpower. She now supports students around the world in doing the same for themselves.
Developmental Coordination Disorder Definition
DCD is a disorder which interferes with the ability to plan and execute skilled or non-habitual motor tasks. This often includes tasks like writing, tying shoelaces and physical activities.
There are a three different types of Developmental Coordination Disorder:
- Motor DCD — causing problems with skills like writing, dressing or physical activities
- Verbal DCD — causing problems with speech
- Oral DCD — causing problems with movements of the mouth and tongue
So that’s the definition of DCD, but what does it actually mean for you and your child? Read on to find out more…
“Why is your kid’s work such a mess?!”
As you know all too well, your child with DCD can be a handful. They just cannot seem to get organized.
Other parents judge you without understanding what you’re dealing with.
You’ve followed the traditional, well-intentioned advice for improving their behavior. “Follow procedures carefully, one step at a time.”
Which makes sense...
...to people who don’t know what it’s really like to have DCD.
Your child is just as frustrated as you are. Nobody seems to understand them. They are fighting to get good grades, fit in, and “be normal”, but it just doesn’t work like that.
It’s not your fault - you’ve been doing all you can to help them.
Sure, following a procedure sometimes gets results, but that’s far from a complete solution. It’s a patchwork - it helps them get through the day, but it doesn’t help them thrive.
Here’s the reality...
They not only need to learn how to fit in with the expectations of other people, but to discover the strengths of their special abilities and how to use them to their advantage.
And the only way to achieve this is to get personal guidance from a specialist DCD tutor who actually understands what DCD is, how to manage it, and most importantly, how to work with your child to find what will work best for them.
It’s not that they’re “learning disabled” or stupid. It’s that the ‘experts’ have been trying to force your kid to become a linear thinker, instead of showing them how to leverage their holistic thinking and learn how to explain it to others.
For those with DCD, there are specific secrets to succeeding in school... and in life.
Think about it. DCD is a genetic trait that has evolved over millions of years and appears everywhere around the world. So it must have an evolutionary advantage, or it would have died out. You just need to learn what that evolutionary advantage is and how to use it to your benefit.
Many of the things you’ve been told are wrong:
- Most people will tell you that their handwriting and typing will only improve with more and more practice.
- Most people will tell them that they need to work logically, step by step to learn.
Getting advice from people who don’t deeply understand DCD is like bringing an airplane to a car mechanic. They aren’t going to know what to do with it, so they’ll change the oil and send you on your child on their way.
Our specialist DCD tutors are the airplane mechanics. We understand how your child really learns, so we can show them how to turn what others consider a disability into a superpower.
We aren’t here to teach math, chemistry, or any specific subject. We’re here to teach your child how they learn - and to adapt with them as they progress through school and their courses get progressively more difficult.
Once they learn to explain their intuitive reasoning to others, they will not just keep up with their classmates, but excel. As you both start to see the improvement, the tension in your family will dissolve and be replaced by hope - and understanding.
All their life, they have been told that their DCD is a problem. Our specialist DCD tutors will show them how to find the superpower hiding within.
If you would like to talk with one of our experts to discuss what would be the best approach to support your child with DCD, book a free consultation today.