Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) affects approximately 5-6% of children, or one child in every classroom. It is as prevalent as ADHD, yet DCD remains under-diagnosed and under-recognized, with insufficient support in healthcare, schools, and the community.
DCD (sometimes referred to as dyspraxia) is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting the ability to learn, plan, and coordinate movement skills, which, in turn, changes engagement in the activities of daily living. DCD is a lifelong condition that impacts educational achievement, employment participation, social engagement, and physical and mental health.
On Monday, October 6, 2025, 52 public landmarks across Canada will be lit up in teal to mark the start of DCD Awareness Week, a global initiative to expand knowledge and understanding of DCD and celebrate the strength, resilience, tenacity, and the achievements of those living with DCD.
Canadian families have reported experiencing long wait times and inconsistent and inefficient pathways to diagnosis, complicated by a lack of funding and lack of knowledge amongst educators and health care providers.
A recent study in the UK found that 90% of parents are concerned for their child’s mental health, citing feelings of anxiety, low self-esteem, and isolation. 80% of parents feel that motor challenges associated with DCD negatively impact their child’s education, with fears for future employment opportunities.
Children living with DCD struggle with everyday tasks such as tying their shoes, fastening buttons, brushing their teeth, riding a bike, and playing sports. Children with DCD struggle to meet the written demands of school, with academic achievement often not reflecting intelligence. Challenges with gross motor skills translate to the inability to participate at the same level as peers in sporting activities, leading to social exclusion and isolation.
Press coverage during DCD Awareness Week at the local and national level will help raise much-needed awareness, understanding and compassion for those living with DCD.
DCD Awareness Week 2025 runs from October 6-12
Wear teal or blue and start a conversation about DCD, and look out for the following landmarks, which will be lit up in teal or blue to share support:
- Sails of Light, Canada Place
- Science World
- BC Place
- Victoria Parliament Buildings
- Niagara Falls: 15 minutes at 10pm. (Watch via live webcam)
- Toronto: CN Tower. (Watch via live webcam)
- City Halls in Burnaby, Port Coquitlam, Lethbridge, Red Deer, Brampton, Kingston, London, Sarnia, Oakville, Moncton, St. John’s, Halifax
Learn more about DCD
DCD Kids is a parent-run organization committed to raising awareness of DCD and advocating for better support in the education system and wider community. We bridge the gap between research and lived experience with helpful resources and personal stories to support parents in navigating a DCD diagnosis and beyond.
Dr. Jill Zwicker is an internationally recognized expert in DCD. She is the current Chair of the International Society of Research and Advocacy for DCD and leads a research program at BC Children’s Hospital and UBC to increase awareness of DCD and the impact it has on families, build capacity of clinicians to recognize and diagnose the condition, and advocate for early identification and evidence-based interventions and supports for DCD.