In many of my recent workshops about dyspraxia, one question came up again and again from parents and educators:
“How do we add more movement opportunities?”
It’s a very real concern. When people learn that dyspraxia affects motor planning and coordination, the natural response is to feel that their young person needs more movement practice. But the moment the word practice appears, many families also feel stuck.
For a lot of people, movement framed as something they ‘must practice’ can immediately feel overwhelming. What starts as well-intentioned support can quickly become another demand or yet another thing on the ‘to do’ list.
The good news is that motor development can happen when movement is woven into everyday life, interests, and connection with others.
Here are some ways that we reframed this during our workshop discussions.
Rethinking Movement
When people talk about supporting motor development, it often gets framed as practice.
You might be told your young person needs to practice certain movements, build their skills, or repeat activities to improve coordination. When you hear that, it’s easy to picture things like:
- drills
- repeated practice
- adult-directed “motor skill work”
The advice for repeated practice and sets of exercises is often very well intentioned and some people do want this kind of clear instruction.
However, if your young person finds demands difficult or simply isn’t interested in structured activities, that advice can quickly start to feel stressful for both of you.
But movement development doesn’t always have to look like therapy sessions or structured exercises.
Movement development can also look like:
- movement that grows from your young person’s interests
- shared activities you do together
- opportunities to explore movement without pressure
Motor skills can also grow through meaningful movement. For many young people, movement may happen through play, curiosity, and connection rather than through drills.
When movement becomes something your young person wants to do, rather than something they feel pushed to practice, it often becomes much easier for them to engage.
This shift can help reduce a huge amount of pressure that you and your young person might be feeling.
Movement Can Look Many Different Ways
Movement can happen in lots of everyday ways.
Movement Through Interests
One way to support movement is by following what your young person already enjoys.
This might look like:
- acting out scenes from a favorite show
- building obstacle courses for their toys or characters
- dancing or moving to music they love
Everyday Activities That Build Motor Skills
Many everyday activities support coordination and motor planning without feeling like ‘motor work’.
For example:
- building with Lego or construction toys
- helping mix ingredients when cooking
- digging in soil while gardening
These kinds of activities are part of everyday life and naturally support:
- coordination
- strength
- sequencing
- body awareness
Moving Together
Sometimes movement works best when it’s shared. When you move together, your young person also benefits from connection and co-regulation.
This might include:
- going for a walk while chatting
- casually throwing a ball back and forth
- playing with a pet together
Nervous System Safety Comes First
If your young person regularly finds engaging in movement activities too hard, it can be tempting to try to encourage them more strongly or find ways to get them to comply.
But for many dyspraxic young people, nervous system safety comes before skill development.
If movement feels like a demand, their nervous system may respond by shutting down.
In those moments, the priority isn’t getting them to complete an activity. It’s helping their nervous system feel safe enough to explore movement again. Often, when the pressure reduces, movement begins to return in more natural ways.
A Gentle Reframe
One question that can sometimes help us think about movement differently is this:
Instead of asking
“How do I get my young person to practice this skill?”
you might try asking
“Where is movement already happening in my young person’s life, and how can we build from there?”
You might notice movement happening when they play, when they’re excited, when they’re exploring something they love, or when they’re spending time with you.
Those moments are often the best place to start.
About Laura Hellfeld: Neurodivergent Nurse & Sleep Consultant, specializing in supporting disabled and neurodivergent people & their families with resources, online and in-person workshops and inclusive books. https://laurahellfeld.substack.com/
Join Laura in her upcoming talk, PDA & Dyspraxia: Understanding Dyspraxia & Supporting Your Young Person Through Connection, Confidence, and Daily Life, on Thursday, November 11th at 1:00PM (CST)
PDA North America is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that has supports and resources for Pathological Demand Avoidance/ Pervasive Drive for Autonomy. We provide resources for families, professionals and PDA individuals. Please consider a donation to allow us to better support PDA individuals.
