Dyspraxia or developmental co-ordination disorder affects around 5 per cent of the population, and without help it can have long-term effects on children's academic achievement and behaviour.
Previous research has focused on older children. Professor David Sugden, who led the research at the University of Leeds, said, 'We found that children could be labelled as clumsy because they lacked certain basic skills, but it may be simply that they hadn't the opportunity to try out or practise those skills across a range of different activities.'
Thirty-five children from nursery classes and schools in south Wales, aged between three and six years old, were identified as having difficulties with everyday skills, such as getting dressed or using a knife and fork.
The idea was not to label such young children but to look at early interventions that might help them develop basic skills.
Activities were developed and tailored to each child's needs and were carried out with practitioners for 15 to 20 minutes, usually four times a week, over ten weeks.
Researcher Dr Mary Chambers, who has designed a checklist to help practitioners assess early years movement skills, said, 'If you target the skills children find difficult it is hoped they will improve.'
She said that the results were quite 'startling' and that after ten weeks nearly all the children had improved their co-ordination skills with only three remaining in the category indicating difficulties.
The guidance, which includes exercises for children, is being developed from a project funded by charity Action Medical Research.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Contact Dr Mary Chambers at M.E.Chambers@education.leeds.ac.uk.
