31/05/2026
Another Fantastic Friday Night PD!
On Friday evening, and hosted another collaborative professional development session, bringing together health professionals from across disciplines to learn from one another, share knowledge, and strengthen the support we provide to children and families in our community.
This month, our Director, Kate, presented on Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), exploring how occupational therapists, psychologists, speech pathologists, physiotherapists, and medical professionals can work together to identify, assess, and support children experiencing motor coordination challenges.
Some important facts discussed during the presentation included:
📊 Approximately 80% of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) also experience significant motor coordination difficulties consistent with DCD, yet these challenges are often overlooked when autism is the primary diagnosis.
📊 DCD affects around 5–6% of school-aged children, making it one of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions, but it remains significantly under-recognised and underdiagnosed across Australia.
📊 Children with DCD are often perceived as “lazy,” “clumsy,” or “not trying hard enough” at school, when in reality they are working much harder than their peers to complete everyday motor tasks such as handwriting, cutting, dressing, participating in sport, and organising their belongings.
A huge thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to the discussion. These evenings continue to demonstrate the incredible value of professional collaboration and shared learning.
We look forward to seeing you at the next Friday Night PD!
