Autism and Dyspraxia: Celebrating Small Breakthroughs for Autistic Kids
Most people don’t realize that autism and dyspraxia often go hand in hand.
Dyspraxia is a motor planning challenge – meaning many kids want to do something, but their body has a hard time organizing all the steps to actually make it happen. It’s not a lack of effort. It’s a disconnect between the brain and the body.
A Simple Task Can Be a Big Challenge
For Anderson, one of the most obvious examples was something that seems so simple—drinking from a straw or an open cup.
For the longest time, he could only drink from a specific type of sippy cup. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t coordinate all the steps to take a sip. He would get frustrated—and eventually give up.
This past fall, we went out to eat and I forgot his sippy cup. He kept asking for water, but he just couldn’t take a drink. As a mom, that moment stuck with me.
Early Signs of Dyspraxia
It can be hard to know when a child’s motor challenges are just a phase or something that might need extra support. Some early signs of dyspraxia to watch for include delayed motor milestones, like crawling, walking, or grasping objects; frequent tripping or bumping into things; difficulty learning new motor tasks; or struggles with everyday self-care activities, such as dressing, feeding, or brushing teeth. Noticing these signs early can help you get support sooner and make everyday tasks less frustrating for your child.
Later Signs of Dyspraxia
Sometimes, motor challenges don’t become obvious until a child is older and expected to perform more complex movements. You might notice difficulties with skills like riding a bike, hopping on one foot, skipping, catching or throwing a ball, or learning new sports. Even tasks like handwriting, using utensils neatly, or getting dressed independently can reveal ongoing motor planning difficulties. Recognizing these later signs is just as important – support at any age can help children gain confidence and succeed in daily activities.
How Dyspraxia Can Affect Autism
Dyspraxia shows up differently in every child. Some common challenges include:
- Difficulty with fine motor skills, like holding a pencil, using utensils, or buttoning clothes
- Trouble with gross motor skills, such as running, jumping, or catching a ball
- Challenges with oral-motor skills, including chewing, swallowing, or drinking from a cup
- Difficulty imitating actions or following multi-step instructions
For autistic children, dyspraxia can make communication and daily life even more challenging. A child may have the desire to participate in an activity but struggle to physically complete it, which can lead to frustration, anxiety, or behavioral challenges.
Dyspraxia and School Challenges
At school, dyspraxia can make even routine tasks feel overwhelming for an autistic child. Writing assignments, cutting with scissors, tying shoes, or participating in PE can all be difficult. Following multi-step classroom instructions or transitioning between activities may require extra support.
These challenges can sometimes be misunderstood as inattention, lack of effort, or behavioral issues, which is why clear communication between parents, teachers, and therapists is so important. With appropriate accommodations -like extra time, visual step-by-step cues, and motor skill support -children can thrive academically while building confidence in their abilities.
Therapy and Support
Therapy for dyspraxia often involves a combination of occupational therapy (OT) and speech therapy, sometimes paired with physical therapy (PT) for gross motor skills.
Here’s what therapy may look like:
Breaking tasks into small, manageable steps: For example, drinking from a straw might start with holding the cup, then tilting it slightly, then taking a tiny sip.
Repetition and practice: Motor planning improves through repeated, structured practice.
Sensory integration support: Many children benefit from exercises that help them process and respond to sensory input more easily.
Home strategies: Therapists often provide exercises and activities parents can do at home to reinforce skills.
Consistency, patience, and celebrating even the smallest successes are key.
Finding the Right Therapist
Finding a therapist who understands both autism and dyspraxia can make a huge difference. Tips:
Ask for referrals: Your pediatrician, local autism support groups, or school therapists can recommend experienced OT and speech therapists.
Look for experience with motor planning challenges: Not all therapists are familiar with dyspraxia, so be sure to ask about their experience with motor planning and autism.
Observe a session: If possible, watch a session to see how they engage your child and break down tasks.
Check for a collaborative approach: The best therapy involves teamwork between the therapist, your child, and your family.
Other Insights about Dyspraxia and Autism
Progress often comes in tiny steps—sometimes it may feel like no progress is happening, but each small step builds toward bigger achievements.
Celebrate every milestone, no matter how small. These are the moments that remind you—and your child—how far you’ve come.
Document progress. Photos, videos, or short notes about breakthroughs help you see improvement over time.
Connect with other parents. Sharing experiences and tips can be incredibly validating and helpful.
A Milestone Worth Celebrating
After months of practice, therapy, and persistence, Anderson finally drank from an open cup and a straw during a trip to Kansas City.
It may seem small to others, but for him – and for us -it was a HUGE milestone. Moments like this are why persistence, patience, and celebration matter. 💚
Tips for Families on a Similar Journey
- Find therapists who truly understand motor planning challenges
- Break complex tasks into tiny, manageable steps
- Celebrate every small victory -because they add up
Progress can feel slow. Some days you’ll feel like nothing is changing. But those breakthroughs -when your child finally does something they’ve been struggling with for months -are worth everything.
Read More about Autism
How Video Modeling Helped My Autistic Son Learn Language (Gestalt Language Learner Story)
Service Dogs for Autism Support
Our Journey Through a Nonverbal Autism Diagnosis at 2.5 years
Creating an Inclusive Homeschool Environment for Autistic Learners