Introduction

My name is Chanel Tuffley and I am a third year Occupational Therapy student studying at the Otago Polytechnic in Dunedin. As part of this course, we have been asked to choose a topic that we hold interest towards that will in turn benefit ourselves and others who share the same interests in this chosen topic.

My interest of Developmental Coordination Disorder occurred on my first placement in 2014, which was located at Hutt hospital in Lower Hutt at Child Development Service. It was fascinating to me, to see the everyday struggles a child experiencing this disorder goes through when at school. These children are the ones that get labelled, lazy, trouble maker, clumsy and awkward.

Being a new graduate occupational therapist very soon, it is exciting to know that my developed skills and knowledge can provide successful interventions to increase quality of life and increased occupational performance.

The aim of this blog is to bring some awareness and education around children experiencing DCD and how occupational therapists can help them strive in the classroom. This will focus on my own opinions and reflections.

It is important to note that I am not an expert in this area and am using this blog as a learning experience to develop knowledge around this topic. Please feel free to comment on this blog with your opinions and knowledge and any feedback you may have.