Alexis Irazoque, M.S., CCC-SLP
You’ve always felt a little out of step. Tasks like getting organized, speaking up in groups, or coordinating your movements seem to take more effort than they do for others. You might have learned to push through, but you still wonder why things feel so hard. The answer might be dyspraxia, also called developmental coordination disorder (DCD). This guide explains dyspraxia in adults: common signs to look for, how dyspraxia is diagnosed, and how therapies like speech therapy can help make everyday life feel more manageable.
Have you ever felt like everyday tasks take more effort for you than they take for others? Things like following directions, managing your time, talking in social situations, or coordinating your movements may feel harder than expected. For many people, these challenges have a name: dyspraxia.
Dyspraxia in adults, also known as developmental coordination disorder (DCD), is a lifelong neurological condition that affects how the brain plans and carries out movement. While it’s often identified in childhood, many adults are never diagnosed, especially if their challenges were labeled as clumsiness, disorganization, or anxiety.
As speech therapists, we often meet adults who are seeking answers later in life. They may be wondering why communication feels so tiring—and whether it’s too late to get help. This guide is designed to answer those questions. We explain what dyspraxia is, how it can show up in adulthood, and how therapies can help adults build skills for work, relationships, and daily life.
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Start the screenerWhat is dyspraxia (developmental coordination disorder)?
Dyspraxia is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects the brain’s ability to plan, coordinate, and carry out movements. It is also known as developmental coordination disorder (DCD). While dyspraxia is often diagnosed in childhood, it is a lifelong condition that continues to affect many people into adulthood.
Dyspraxia primarily impacts fine and gross motor planning, but it can also affect speech, coordination, perception, memory, and information processing. These challenges are not related to intelligence. Instead, they stem from differences in how the brain sends and organizes messages to the body. Many adults with dyspraxia are highly capable but work much harder behind the scenes to keep up.
With dyspraxia, the brain has a hard time coordinating movement, timing, and sensory feedback, even for skills that are typically automatic.
For adults, dyspraxia can influence many areas of daily life, including communication, work performance, and social participation. Everyday tasks such as driving, cooking, or learning new routines may feel especially effortful. This happens because the brain has difficulty efficiently coordinating movement, timing, and sensory feedback, even for skills that are typically automatic, explains Abby Barnes, M.S., CCC-SLP, speech therapist at Expressable.
Although signs of dyspraxia may be present during childhood, many adults are not diagnosed until later in life. Understanding dyspraxia in adults can be an important first step toward getting the right support.
What are the signs of dyspraxia in adults?
Dyspraxia affects people differently, so the signs of dyspraxia in adults can vary widely. Many adults develop coping strategies over time, which can make symptoms less obvious. But the underlying challenges are still present.
Dyspraxia may affect a person’s:
Movement and coordination
Speech and language
Executive function skills (planning, organization, follow-through)
Attention and focus
Memory
Visual perception
Sensory processing
Emotional regulation
Adults with dyspraxia may struggle with time management, organization, and interpersonal relationships. Difficulties with attention, memory, or expressive language can make work and social situations more demanding. Over time, these challenges may lead to anxiety, frustration, or low self-esteem, especially if the person has never had a diagnosis.
While it’s not a complete list, the sections below highlight common challenges that adults with dyspraxia may notice in daily life.
Speech and language challenges with dyspraxia
Adults with dyspraxia may:
Talk continuously or have difficulty regulating the flow of conversations
Repeat themselves often
Struggle to organize sentences clearly
Have difficulty following multi-step directions
Experience unclear speech or difficulty producing certain sounds or words
Have limited control over pitch, volume, or speech rate
Social communication challenges with dyspraxia
These may include:
Difficulty listening or processing information, especially in a group
Challenges recognizing or interpreting nonverbal cues
Difficulty judging tone, pitch, or emotional intent in others’ voices
Cognitive and executive functioning challenges with dyspraxia
Adults may experience:
Difficulty planning, organizing, or sequencing their thoughts
Trouble staying focused, or appearing disorganized
Challenges with math, reading, or spelling (related to sequencing difficulties)
Motor coordination challenges with dyspraxia
Common motor planning difficulties include:
Clumsiness
Difficulty with sequencing movements
Poor balance or overall coordination
Fine motor difficulties with dyspraxia
These challenges may affect:
Two-handed tasks, such as using utensils, cleaning, or cooking
Typing, writing, or drawing
Dressing and grooming tasks
Gross motor difficulties with dyspraxia
Adults with dyspraxia may experience:
Poor posture or balance
Difficulty with sports involving jumping or cycling
Poor hand-eye coordination
Difficulty driving or playing team sports
A clumsy gait, including frequent bumping into objects or people
For more information about dyspraxia in adults, you can visit the Dyspraxia Foundation’s website.
How does dyspraxia affect adults in everyday life?
Dyspraxia, also known as developmental coordination disorder, can affect many parts of an adult’s daily life. This includes work, relationships, and everyday routines. Because dyspraxia can impact focus, memory, coordination, and communication, even simple tasks may take more time and effort.
At work or school: Adults with dyspraxia may struggle with organization, time management, note-taking, or written communication. Following multi-step instructions or learning new routines can feel overwhelming, especially in fast-paced environments.
In social relationships: Difficulty expressing thoughts clearly, keeping up in conversations, or reading social cues may lead to frustration or misunderstandings. Barnes says that, over time, these challenges can contribute to anxiety, burnout, or low self-esteem, particularly if a person feels misunderstood or unsupported.
In daily life: Dyspraxia may make activities such as driving, playing sports, or completing self-care routines (like shaving or applying makeup) more challenging. This is due to difficulties with balance, coordination, and motor planning.
While a small number of people may notice mild symptoms improve over time, most adults with dyspraxia continue to have challenges. With the right support, strategies, and therapy, these challenges can become more manageable—and daily life can feel easier.
How is dyspraxia diagnosed in adults?
There is no cure for dyspraxia, but a diagnosis is an important step toward understanding your challenges and getting the right support. Many adults are not diagnosed until later in life, often after years of feeling “out of sync” or working harder than others to complete everyday tasks.
Diagnosing dyspraxia in adults can be complex. That’s because symptoms can overlap with other conditions, such as ADHD, autism, or learning disabilities. While there is no single diagnostic test for adults, a thorough evaluation often includes a review of developmental history, current challenges, and how symptoms affect daily life. A screening tool like the Adult DCD/Dyspraxia Checklist may also be used.
Because dyspraxia affects people differently throughout their life, the goal is to support each person’s individual needs at each stage.
Dyspraxia may be diagnosed or identified by a medical doctor. Other trained professionals may also evaluate and support adults with developmental coordination disorder, including:
Occupational therapists (OTs)
Physical therapists (PTs)
Psychologists or neuropsychologists
It’s important to know that you do not need to have been diagnosed as a child for your experiences to be valid. Many adults find relief simply in having a name for what they’ve been navigating and a path forward with the right professional support.
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Get startedHow is dyspraxia treated in adults?
Because dyspraxia affects each person differently across their lifetime, treatment focuses on supporting individual needs at each stage of life, rather than “fixing” the condition. There is no cure for dyspraxia, but the right therapy can make daily life feel more manageable and less exhausting.
According to the Dyspraxia Foundation, “The best way to treat dyspraxia is to find the most effective therapy to address each symptom.” For adults with dyspraxia (developmental coordination disorder), this often means working with one or more therapy providers, depending on how symptoms show up.
Common therapies for dyspraxia in adults may include:
Speech therapy
Psychological therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
With the right support, many adults with dyspraxia learn strategies that help them communicate more clearly, move with more confidence, and manage daily tasks with less stress.
How speech therapy helps adults with dyspraxia
Speech therapy for dyspraxia supports adults whose motor planning challenges affect speech, language, cognition, or feeding/swallowing skills. According to Barnes, therapy is highly individualized and focuses on building functional skills that carry over into real-life situations.
Speech therapy may help with:
Motor planning for speech, including making certain sounds more clearly
Functional communication strategies for work, school, and social settings
Confidence and clarity when speaking in conversations or presentations
“For many adults, speech therapy also supports organization of thoughts, social communication, and self-advocacy skills,” Barnes notes.
How occupational therapy supports daily skills
Occupational therapy (OT) for dyspraxia focuses on improving everyday motor tasks and independence. The goal is not perfection, but efficiency and confidence in daily routines.
OT may support:
Motor coordination for fine and gross motor tasks
Workplace adaptations to improve productivity and reduce fatigue
Executive functioning strategies, such as planning, organization, and time management
These supports can be especially helpful for adults balancing work, home responsibilities, and social demands.
Other types of therapy for dyspraxia
Depending on symptoms, adults with dyspraxia may also benefit from other therapies:
Physical therapy, to improve balance, posture, and muscle tone
Vision therapy, for visual processing or eye-tracking difficulties
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), to help manage anxiety, frustration, or low self-esteem related to dyspraxia
Many adults use a combination of therapies to address both physical and emotional challenges.
Get support for dyspraxia at any age
If you’re a teen or adult with dyspraxia, it’s important to know that it’s never too late to get support. Progress doesn’t mean getting rid of every challenge. It means learning strategies that help you function more comfortably and confidently in daily life.
Taking time to understand your diagnosis and your unique strengths can help you advocate for yourself and work more effectively with your care team. With the right therapy and accommodations, many adults with dyspraxia find new ways to succeed at work, improve communication, and reduce daily stress.
If you’re wondering whether dyspraxia may be affecting you, working with a licensed speech therapist can be a helpful first step. At Expressable, our therapists provide virtual, adult-friendly care focused on real-life goals. Click here to get matched with a speech therapist who is right for you.
You can also explore more education and resources through organizations like The Dyspraxia Foundation USA.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What are the signs of dyspraxia in adults?
The signs of dyspraxia in adults can vary, but common symptoms include poor coordination, clumsiness, trouble with organization and planning, difficulty following multi-step directions, and challenges with speech or social communication. Many adults also experience fatigue, anxiety, or low confidence after years of compensating without a diagnosis. If these challenges sound familiar, you may benefit from a professional evaluation.
What are symptoms of dyspraxia in adults that most people miss?
Symptoms of dyspraxia are often overlooked because many people develop ways to cope over time. Subtle signs may include difficulty writing or typing, taking longer to learn new routines, struggling in group conversations, or feeling mentally exhausted after everyday tasks. Because dyspraxia does not affect intelligence, symptoms are often misunderstood or dismissed.
Does dyspraxia affect writing?
Yes, dyspraxia can affect writing. Motor planning challenges may make handwriting slow, messy, or tiring. Some adults also struggle with typing, spelling, or organizing thoughts on paper. Occupational therapy and speech therapy can help improve written communication and provide strategies to make writing more efficient.
Can an adult be tested for dyspraxia?
Adults can be evaluated for dyspraxia (developmental coordination disorder), even if they were never diagnosed as children. While there is no single diagnostic test for adults over 21, healthcare providers use a combination of developmental history, functional assessments, and screening tools like the Adult DCD/Dyspraxia Checklist. Typically, a medical doctor makes the formal diagnosis with input from therapists. An evaluation can bring clarity and help guide meaningful support.
How does speech therapy help adults with dyspraxia?
Speech therapy can help adults with dyspraxia improve speech clarity, organize thoughts, strengthen social communication skills, and build confidence in everyday interactions. Therapy focuses on practical strategies that carry over into work, relationships, and daily life. If you’re wondering whether speech therapy could help, you can start with Expressable’s free online screener or schedule an evaluation to get personalized guidance.
Key takeaways
Dyspraxia, also called developmental coordination disorder (DCD), is a lifelong neurological condition that affects motor planning, coordination, and sometimes speech and communication.
Symptoms of dyspraxia in adults can include coordination difficulties and trouble with organization, following multi-step directions, and speech or social communication. Intelligence is not affected.
Many adults are diagnosed later in life. An adult can be tested for dyspraxia even without a childhood diagnosis.
Therapy focuses on real-life skills, not perfection. Speech therapy, occupational therapy, and other supports can make daily tasks feel more manageable, reduce stress, and improve quality of life.
How Expressable Can Help
Concerned your child isn't reaching age-expected milestones? Looking for communication support from a professional? Expressable is a national online speech therapy practice serving children and adults. We treat all major areas of communication and feeding, offer flexible hours including evenings and weekends, and accept most major health insurance plans. We’re proud to have earned more than 3,000 5-star reviews from our clients (4.9/5 average).
Our therapy model is centered on parent and caregiver involvement. Research proves that empowering caregivers to participate in their loved one’s therapy leads to better outcomes. That’s why we combine live, 1-on-1 speech therapy with personalized education and home practice activities for faster progress.
Communication is more than words. It’s how we share how we feel and show who we are. We’re here to help you or your child do just that.
