Children struggling with age-appropriate motor skills such as throwing a ball, jumping rope or writing in a notebook within the squares may have a condition called developmental coordination disorder (DCD).
Such children may be considered “extremely clumsy” by people around them, but DCD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that makes it hard for them to control their bodily movements to perform daily activities. It is essential that those around them have a correct understanding and offer support.
A 41-year-old woman living in Tokyo noticed something awkward about her son, now 11, before he started kindergarten. “What? Is my son a little different from other children?” she thought to herself when she saw him unable to slide down the slide straight and instead turning sideways. And when he tried to jump, he could barely get off the ground.