Clumsiness, dyspraxia and developmental coordination disorder: How do health and educational professionals in the UK define the terms?

• Published in: Child : care, health & development health & development, 2001-09, Vol.27 (5), p.399-412
• Main Authors: Peters, J M, Barnett, Al, Henderson, S E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Clumsy children; Coding; Definitions; Dyslexia; Dyspraxia; Educational Practices; Familiarity; Health professionals; Interdisciplinary Approach; Motor disordered children; Occupational Therapy; Physicians; Prior Learning; Professional Recognition; Psychiatry; Resistance (Psychology); Teaching Methods
• ISSN: 0305-1862; 1365-2214
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2214.2001.00217.x

Sought to determine how the three terms 'Clumsy', 'Dyspraxia' and 'Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)' are viewed by health and educational professionals in the UK. 234 adults (57% from the health professionals and 43% from education) provided a written definition of each term. Content analysis of the 702 definitions was used to determine the extent to which the terms were familiar /acceptable to the respondents, and to capture the differences in the meaning of the term being defined. Results indicated that the terms DCD and Dyspraxia were less familiar than the term Clumsy, which was, however, least acceptable. Amongst those professionals who were familiar with all three terms, there was general agreement that all were used to describe some sort of overall movement difficulty. Beyond that point, divergence of understanding and inter-professional differences in emphasis emerged. (Original abstract - amended)