Many people with dyspraxia are experienced, capable employees who have developed their own ways of managing tasks that others may take for granted. However, difficulties can arise when the physical, organisational or practical demands of a job do not match how someone coordinates movements, plans activities or processes information.
Dyspraxia can affect much more than physical coordination. For some employees, organising work, learning new procedures or managing several tasks at once can be particularly demanding.
At work, this may present as:
These difficulties can sometimes be misunderstood as clumsiness, poor organisation, carelessness or lack of attention.
An employee may be highly competent in the technical aspects of their job but struggle with particular physical or organisational demands. In some cases, the difficulty only becomes apparent when responsibilities change, new equipment is introduced or workloads increase.
Dyspraxia, also known as Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), is a neurodevelopmental condition that primarily affects motor coordination and the planning and execution of movements.
It is recognised as a form of neurodivergence and can occur alongside other neurodevelopmental conditions, including ADHD, autism and dyslexia.
Dyspraxia is not related to intelligence. Its effects vary considerably between individuals, and not everyone experiences the same difficulties.
Some people are mainly affected by coordination and practical tasks. Others also experience challenges with organisation, sequencing, time management or processing instructions.
Many adults have learned to compensate for their difficulties over time and may not have received a formal diagnosis. Their coping strategies may work well until they encounter unfamiliar tasks, more demanding working conditions or additional responsibilities.
Understanding the employee's individual pattern of strengths and difficulties is therefore more useful than making assumptions based on a diagnosis.
Dyspraxia can affect employees in different ways depending on their role, the working environment and the physical or cognitive demands placed upon them.
For example, somebody may:
· communicate confidently with colleagues and customers but struggle with handwritten documentation or tasks requiring fine motor control
These difficulties may be particularly noticeable in jobs involving frequent physical activity, precise manual tasks, unfamiliar equipment or rapidly changing priorities.
In office-based roles, the main challenges may involve organisation, note-taking, time management or managing several tasks simultaneously.
The effect on performance is not always obvious. Some employees compensate by spending longer preparing, repeatedly checking their work or avoiding particular tasks. This additional effort may go unnoticed until stress or fatigue begins to affect their wellbeing.
At Workforce Wellbeing, we provide neurodiversity workplace needs assessments for employees with dyspraxia or difficulties that may be associated with developmental coordination differences.
Our workplace needs assessments are clinically overseen by our Consultant Psychiatrist and Neurodiversity Clinical Lead, alongside our Consultant Occupational Physicians.
The assessment focuses on how the employee functions in their actual working environment, rather than relying on a diagnosis alone.
Our assessments consider:
Employers commonly seek occupational health advice when:
A workplace needs assessment can help clarify the difficulties and identify proportionate ways to support the employee while maintaining the essential requirements of their job.
Not necessarily.
Some adults have lived with coordination or organisational difficulties since childhood without ever receiving a formal diagnosis.
Others may have been diagnosed during education but have not previously required workplace support.
Employers do not necessarily need to wait for a formal diagnosis before considering practical adjustments.
Our workplace needs assessments focus on the employee's functional difficulties, the demands of their role and the support that may help them work effectively.
Where a formal diagnosis is required, assessment by an appropriately qualified specialist may be recommended. Depending on the circumstances, this may involve professionals
with expertise in developmental coordination disorder, such as occupational therapists or other suitably qualified clinicians.
A workplace needs assessment is not a diagnostic assessment for dyspraxia.
Under the Equality Act 2010, dyspraxia may meet the definition of disability where it has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on normal day-to-day activities.
Where the relevant legal requirements are met, employers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to reduce substantial workplace disadvantage.
Employees with dyspraxia may benefit from changes to the way tasks are organised, equipment is used or instructions are provided.
Depending on the individual and their role, examples may include:
These are examples rather than a standard set of recommendations.
An employee working in an administrative role may have very different needs from someone working in healthcare, manufacturing, construction or another physically demanding environment.
Some difficulties may relate primarily to coordination, while others involve planning, organisation, fatigue or overlapping neurodevelopmental conditions.
A neurodiversity workplace needs assessment helps identify which adjustments are appropriate for the individual, rather than relying on a general checklist.
At Workforce Wellbeing, we consider the employee's abilities, job demands and working environment before recommending practical and proportionate support.
Dyspraxia does not automatically make someone unsuitable for physically demanding or safety-sensitive work.
However, some roles require particular standards of coordination, balance, spatial awareness or manual precision. These may include operating machinery, handling equipment, working at height or performing certain clinical procedures.
Where difficulties could affect safety, occupational health advice should consider the specific tasks involved, the employee's functional abilities and the controls already in place.
The important question is whether the employee can carry out the essential duties safely, with appropriate adjustments where these are reasonable and compatible with the role.
A diagnosis alone should not determine fitness for work.
Where there are concerns about a particular activity, a task-specific assessment may be needed rather than making assumptions about the employee's overall capability.
Dyspraxia can occur alongside ADHD, autism, dyslexia and other neurodevelopmental conditions.
Some of the workplace difficulties associated with these conditions overlap, particularly those involving executive functioning, organisation, working memory and managing competing demands.
For example, an employee with dyspraxia and ADHD may experience both coordination difficulties and problems with prioritisation or attention. An autistic employee with dyspraxia may have additional needs relating to sensory processing, communication or changes in routine.
However, these conditions are distinct, and an individualised assessment should not assume that every difficulty has the same underlying cause.
Dyspraxia can also affect confidence and wellbeing.
Employees who have repeatedly been criticised for being clumsy, slow or disorganised may become reluctant to ask for help. Some experience anxiety when learning unfamiliar tasks or when their performance is being observed.
Where workplace difficulties are accompanied by significant anxiety, depression or other mental health concerns, additional clinical input may be appropriate.
Our neurodiversity workplace needs assessment service benefits from clinical oversight by our Consultant Psychiatrist and Neurodiversity Clinical Lead.
A separate psychiatric assessment may be considered where there are relevant mental health concerns or a complex clinical presentation. However, psychiatric assessment is not routinely required for dyspraxia and does not replace a specialist diagnostic assessment of developmental coordination disorder.
Employers should consider seeking occupational health advice when coordination, organisation or practical workplace difficulties are beginning to affect an employee's performance, confidence or wellbeing.
Early assessment can be particularly useful where an employee has previously performed well but is now struggling following a change of role, increased responsibilities or the introduction of new working practices.
A referral may also be appropriate where:
Occupational health advice can help employers understand the functional difficulties, consider suitable adjustments and make informed decisions about workplace support.
Workforce Wellbeing is a physician-led occupational health provider offering specialist neurodiversity workplace needs assessments across the UK.
Our service combines:
Our assessments focus on understanding the employee's actual difficulties at work and identifying support that is appropriate for both the individual and the organisation.
We also provide workplace needs assessments for ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia and executive function difficulties.
