Symptoms and Signs of Motor Skills Disorder

Doctor's Notes on Motor Skills Disorder

Motor skills disorder, also called motor coordination disorder or motor dyspraxia, is a childhood disorder that causes problems with the development of motor skills needed for daily or school activities.

Symptoms of motor skills disorder vary depending on the age of the child when diagnosed. Symptoms of motor skills disorder in young infants may include hypotonia (floppy baby) or hypertonia (rigid baby). Older infants may have delays in sitting, standing, or walking, and toddlers may have difficulty feeding themselves. Symptoms of motor skills disorder in older children include difficulty learning to hold a pencil, and a tendency to knock over drinking glasses more often than expected. As children age, motor skills disorder can cause children to avoid physical activities such as dancing, gymnastics, swimming, catching or throwing a ball, writing, or drawing. Symptoms of motor skills disorder may also include a propensity to fall or trip more often than others, an inability to complete motor tasks adequately, bruises or superficial skin injuries due to being "clumsy,” inability to judge spatial distances, difficulty shutting off faucets, turning off devices, and trouble putting together puzzles or toys.