All About Dyspraxia: A Practical Guide for Secondary Teachers

1 Introduction 3

Defining ‘dyspraxia’ 4

Formal diagnosis 7

How DCD is diagnosed 8

Possible causes 9

Prevalence 9

Long term – adulthood 10

2 Ideation 12

3 Planning 14

4 Doing 18

5 Co-occurring conditions 20

6 Impact on mental health and behaviour 24

7 Recognising strengths 27

8 Setting learners up for success at secondary school 31

9 The transition to secondary school – ideas for primary schools 38

10 Secondary school transition – the first few months 41

11 Reframing behaviour 45

Choice and avoidance 45

Inattention or difficulty with planning 46

Looking at past behaviour 47

12 Teaching new skills 49

13 Generalisation 54

14 Sensory needs 57

Sensitive responses 57

Slower responses 59

Sensory seeking 60

15 Supporting organisation skills 62

Classroom set-up 63

Task set-up 63

16 Transitions throughout the day 65

Telling the time 65

Planning for the day 65

Timetable changes and new school year transitions 66

17 Managing belongings 68

General set-up 68

Labelling belongings 69

In the classroom 70

18 Planning homework, projects and exams 72

Managing homework 73

Setting up a project/study plan 74

Actioning the project/study plan 75

Managing multiple projects across time to meet deadlines 77

Exams 78

19 Breaks and unstructured time 80

20 Social and emotional support 82

Building self-esteem and recognising effort 82

Managing anxiety and overwhelm 84

Supporting social relationships and peer interactions 85

Managing frustration and emotional regulation 86

Fostering independence while providing support 88

21 Fine motor skills 90

22 Handwriting skills 92

Writing and recording 92

Composition 93

Digital tools for handwriting 94

23 PE 96

24 Creative subjects 100

Supporting ideation 100

Supporting planning 101

Supporting doing 102

Safety with tools 102

25 Technology and assistive tools 104

Classroom integration 104

Organisation and planning 105

Enabling creativity 107

Supporting writing 108

Using AI 108

26 Self-care skills 111

27 Partnering with parents 113

Build collaborative relationships 114

Share solutions between home and school 114

Supporting diagnosis 115

Secondary school transition when there is already a diagnosis 116

Managing belongings 118

Supporting social emotional needs 118

Extracurricular activity ideas 120

Biography

Kim Griffin is a paediatric occupational therapist with over 20 years of experience supporting children, their families and teachers. She is the founder of GriffinOT and the author of Success with Sensory Supports. Her current research focus is on supporting student self-regulation in mainstream schools.

“All About Dyspraxia provides myth-busting advocacy of dyspraxia/DCD. It expands knowledge and understanding of dyspraxia/DCD beyond a simple assumption of clumsiness and co-ordination difficulties, integrating the stages of ideation, planning and doing into all activities.  The book is well structured with a clear, insightful and accessible writing style and it contains an excellent array of practical strategies for teachers including subject specific suggestions for supported action.  It is a great resource with practical application.”

- Judith Carter, educational psychologist, author and director of Willow Tree Learning

“All About Dyspraxia is an essential and timely resource for educators. With waiting lists growing, this book meets an urgent need for practical, accessible guidance. Its strength lies in expertly dismantling misconceptions and moving ‘beyond clumsiness’ to illuminate the true physical and behavioural signs of dyspraxia. The insightful sections on concurrent conditions and myth-busting are invaluable for accurate recognition and intervention. Most importantly, this book provides teachers with the actionable strategies we need while championing the crucial partnership with parents. This is a must-have guide that will undoubtedly transform classroom support for children.”

- Sarah Watkins, associate lecturer, University of Worcester, UK, and author of Outdoor Play for Healthy Little Minds and 99 Eco-Activities for Your Primary School

"When you've got limited time to read up on things, but you know you've just got to do something to help that child in your class, what you need is a quick go-to resource that tells you the important things you need to know but also gives you really practical strategies to help.  This book does both. You feel reassured it's been written by someone who knows what they're talking about when it comes to dyspraxia and who also has insight into the demands of teaching. This book is a great addition to your inclusive toolkit."

- Pippa McLean, former teacher and SENCO, author of The Pocket Diary of a SENCO and Could Do Better

“As the mother of an adult with dyspraxia, I found the secondary school edition of this book to be incredibly valuable, and I wish we had had this when my daughter was at secondary school. The guidance on navigating the transition to secondary school is especially helpful – it recognises that students must essentially start afresh, learning new routines and expectations from scratch. I particularly liked the inclusion of quotes from both students and teachers, which make the situations real, and more relatable. The sections on exam preparation and project planning are helpful. The book offers clear, practical support to help dyspraxic students stay organised and reduce stress during revision and exams. Importantly, the book doesn’t just focus on academic skills; it also provides helpful strategies for supporting social skills, self-esteem, and overall wellbeing during the often challenging secondary years. I also appreciated the recognition that fine motor challenges extend beyond just handwriting, and how the book explores a range of difficulties and ways to address them. I would recommend this resource to parents as well as anyone working with a dyspraxic young person in secondary education.”

- Lynn McCann, Autism, ADHD and PDA Specialist Teacher, Author and Speaker

"All About Dyspraxia is a resource which will be helpful for early career practitioners who wish to enhance their classroom inclusive approaches. This book provides a good, underpinning understanding of what dyspraxia/developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD) is and how it can impact a learner’s social, emotional and academic development. The author clearly identifies how dyspraxia can co-occur with other neurodiverse conditions and the way this might impact on learners’ ability to learn and socialise.  All About Dyspraxia offers practical solutions and new ways for a practitioner to ensure a learner with dyspraxia can access, engage and succeed in their classroom."

- Sue Soan, Author, Editor and Education Consultant