The Developmental Coordination Disorder online workshop is designed to increase knowledge about Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) and other motor coordination challenges and to increase your confidence in supporting a child’s development and participation.

It was designed originally for parents, but is useful for others as well including teachers, health professionals, coaches, family members and friends. It is interactive in nature and takes approximately 60 minutes to go through but can also be done in shorter segments.

The workshop explains what DCD is and provides an overview of the causes of DCD, how DCD is diagnosed, typical motor development and of other health conditions that are related to DCD. Users can view video-clips and complete an exercise that guides them to feel what it is like to have DCD.

In this workshop, motor activities are highlighted – at school, home and at play – that are challenging for children with DCD and strategies are provided to help support children’s development and participation within the home, school, and community.

The M.A.T.C.H strategy that is presented is a useful framework that provides guidance about how to modify the environment to support a child’s learning and teach new motor skills.

Lastly, the workshop provides parents with information on how to educate themselves, their child, teachers, physicians, other health professionals and coaches/community group leaders about DCD.

-Additional workshops are available on the CanChild website for physiotherapists and occupational therapists, and for family physicians/general practitioners.