OT for children with DCD in Ottawa

The Canadian Paediatric Society says DCD affects about 5% to 6% of school-aged children. Some people still use older terms, such as "dyspraxia" or "clumsy child."

Occupational therapy (OT) looks at the everyday things your child needs and wants to do. Our registered occupational therapists come to you. We see children and youth at home, at school or online across Ottawa.

What OT can work on

We set goals with you and your child. Goals focus on the skills that matter most in your child's day. Areas we often look at include:

• Self-care. Dressing, buttons and zippers, tying shoes, using utensils and brushing teeth.

• Fine motor skills. Pencil grip, printing, cutting, colouring and building.

• Gross motor skills. Balance, jumping, catching, climbing and riding a bike.

• Learning new motor tasks. Breaking tasks into steps and using strategies your child can use on their own.

• School participation. Written work, keyboarding, desk set-up, gym class and recess. With your consent, we can share ideas with your child's school team.

• Play and confidence. Supporting your child to join in play and activities they enjoy.

• Sensory and regulation needs. Some children with DCD also have sensory differences or find it hard to manage frustration. See our sensory processing page.

Signs you may want to discuss with an OT

You may want to talk to an OT if your child:

• Takes much longer than peers to learn motor skills like dressing or riding a bike

• Has printing that is slow, messy or tiring

• Drops things, trips or bumps into things often

• Avoids sports, playground equipment or gym class

• Finds cutting, colouring or building hard

• Gets frustrated with tasks that seem easy for others

• Is slow to get dressed or finish meals

These are only examples. If something in daily life is hard for your child, it is worth a conversation.

How DCD is diagnosed

Diagnosing DCD is a team effort. A physician, such as a family doctor or paediatrician, needs to be involved. The physician checks the child's history and rules out other medical causes of the motor difficulties. This is a key step that only a physician can do.

An occupational therapist (or physiotherapist) can contribute by giving a standardized motor assessment. Information from parents and teachers about daily life is also part of the picture.

An occupational therapist does not make the DCD diagnosis on their own. We can share our assessment findings with your child's physician, with your consent. If you have questions about a diagnosis, please speak with your family doctor or paediatrician.

A diagnosis is not required

You do not need a DCD diagnosis to see an OT. You also do not need a doctor's referral. We focus on your child's daily needs, with or without a diagnosis.

How our process works

1. Free 15-minute call. We talk about your concerns and answer your questions.

2. Initial assessment. A registered OT meets your child at home, at school or online. We learn about your child's strengths, needs and goals.

3. A planned block of 10 sessions. Sessions are planned around your child's goals. We do not offer single sessions. Planned blocks let us track progress over time.

4. A written debrief after every session. You get a summary of what we worked on and ideas to practise at home.

5. Bingo Books. As part of care, we create custom OT activity guides for your child. They turn practice into simple, playful activities.

6. Review and next steps. At the end of each block, we review progress with you and plan what comes next.

Written OT reports for insurance or school are available.

Paying for OT

Many families use workplace health benefits. Fees paid to a registered OT in Ontario may also be claimed as a medical expense on your taxes. See our funding page for details. See our funding page.

Frequently asked questions

Can you diagnose DCD?

No. A physician needs to be involved to make the diagnosis. An OT can provide information about motor skills and daily function to support the process.

Is DCD the same as dyspraxia?

The terms are sometimes used in similar ways. "Developmental coordination disorder" is the term used in the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. Your child's physician can explain more.

Can OT help with printing at school?

Yes, printing and written work are common goals. We can also look at options like keyboarding and share ideas with the school, with your consent.

What is a Bingo Book?

A Bingo Book is a custom activity guide we make for your child. It is part of your child's care and helps carry the work into everyday life. See our Bingo Books page.

Talk to us

Wondering if OT could help your child? We are happy to talk it through.

Book a free 15-minute call

Related: sensory processing · ADHD · autism · funding

Sources: Canadian Paediatric Society, Developmental coordination disorder (2021) · CanChild, Recognizing and Referring Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder