How OT Helps Children with Coordination Difficulties

As an Occupational Therapist in Malta, I regularly work with children who struggle with coordination. These are children who find it hard to catch a ball, ride a bike, use scissors, or keep up with their peers in physical activities. They are often described as “clumsy” — but there is usually much more going on beneath the surface.

At WonderKids, we help children with coordination difficulties build the motor skills and confidence they need to participate fully in school, play, and daily life.

What Are Coordination Difficulties?

Coordination difficulties occur when a child’s brain has trouble planning, organising, and executing movements smoothly. This can affect gross motor skills (large body movements like running, jumping, and balancing) and fine motor skills (smaller movements like writing, buttoning, and using cutlery).

Some children receive a diagnosis of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), sometimes called dyspraxia. DCD affects approximately 5-6% of school-aged children and significantly impacts a child’s ability to participate in everyday activities.

Signs Your Child May Have Coordination Difficulties

• Difficulty learning new motor tasks
• Messy handwriting with inconsistent letter size and poor spacing
• Avoiding physical activities and playground games
• Difficulty with self-care tasks like dressing and eating
• Poor balance and frequent falls
• Fatigue from everyday movements requiring extra effort
• Low self-esteem, frustration, and withdrawal

How Occupational Therapy Helps

At WonderKids, our approach to coordination difficulties is holistic, considering how sensory processing, motor planning, strength, and confidence interact.

Motor Planning and Sequencing

Motor planning — or praxis — is the ability to figure out how to do a new or unfamiliar movement. Children with coordination difficulties often know what they want to do but cannot execute the movements. Therapy uses graded activities that break complex tasks into smaller steps.

Strengthening the Foundation

Coordination depends on core stability, postural control, and bilateral integration. Through play-based activities such as climbing, swinging, and crawling, we develop these foundational skills.

Fine Motor Development

For children struggling with handwriting, scissors, or dressing, therapy focuses on hand strength, finger dexterity, and hand-eye coordination through activities like threading beads and manipulating therapy putty.

Building Confidence

Perhaps the most important part of our work is restoring a child’s confidence. Many children with coordination difficulties experience repeated failure. We create opportunities for success at the right challenge level.

Supporting Your Child at Home and School in Malta

• Allow extra time for tasks like dressing and homework
• Break tasks into steps rather than giving single instructions
• Use adaptive tools like pencil grips and adapted scissors
• Encourage physical activity in non-competitive settings like swimming or martial arts
• Communicate with school about your child’s needs
• Focus on and celebrate your child’s strengths

With the right support, children with coordination difficulties can thrive. Call us at +356 77048650 or email info@wonderkids.mt.