Dyspraxia, also known as developmental coordination disorder (DCD), is a lifelong, neurodevelopmental disorder which affects an estimated 10 per cent of the UK population (Dyspraxia Foundation, 2023). It impairs fine and, or, gross motor skills, affecting everyday activities such as climbing the stairs or brushing one’s teeth (Dyspraxia Foundation, 2023). Beyond the physical challenges, dyspraxic individuals may also experience various social, emotional and cognitive difficulties (Kirby & Sugden, 2007); although, due to the heterogeneous nature of dyspraxia no individual experience is the same.
Research shows that the challenges dyspraxic individuals may experience can impact their ability to fully participate in higher education, and can, therefore, affect academic success (Brown, 2022; Kirby & Sugden, 2007). So, it seems reasonable that these individuals may seek support from their institutions to help navigate these challenges. As dyspraxia is classed as a disability, falling under the Equality Act 2010, higher education institutions (HEIs) have a duty to make reasonable adjustments – such as extra time in exams, specialist tuition or technological equipment to ensure that they can fully participate in their education and any facilities or services provided for students.
As highlighted above, the difficulties each dyspraxic individual experiences will not be exactly the same, so it follows that neither will their support needs. However, findings from my qualitative doctoral study (Brown, 2022) – which explored the lived experiences of four dyspraxic young adults in higher education in England – found that regardless of participants’ differing experiences and challenges, they were all offered the same forms of generic support including, a one-to-one tutor, extra time in exams, a laptop, a voice recorder and read-aloud software.
