Every time I ask John to fix something I get out the bandages as he usually cuts himself…he can't help himself, he's just clumsy…

The term 'clumsy child' is a general term - it is the name of a symptom, not a particular disorder, that affects between 5% to 15% of school aged children.

Coordination problems usually arise during the early school years, appearing in everyday tasks such as running, buttoning and using scissors. Unfortunately, clumsiness is often overlooked because you may not recognize your child's un-coordination as a significant problem.

If your child is affected by coordination problems, problems can develop with academic performance and social integration. Children below the age of 5 are not likely to run into particular difficulties, or to be exposed to excessive pressure in their day to day tasks. It's often at the start of more formal schooling at the age of 5 and above that problems are identified.

Trouble in schooling can arise with an inability to hold a pencil properly, cut paper in a straight line, or in participation with peers in the playground.

Clumsiness can involve large gross motor movements such as walking, running and climbing, or may appear mainly during fine motor movements. In this case, writing, drawing, coloring, cutting and tying shoelaces can be difficult. Eye-hand co-ordination is also likely to be affected, affecting your child's performance in games with peers. Difficulties with tasks such as riding a bike or catching a ball can also be common. (I have a real advantage here as well because John can't catch a ball either!!)

For a clumsy child, the problem may be in planning the execution of motor tasks, while others can have difficulty with sensory relationships and may have deficits in sensory identification, sensory integration, or visual processing. Some children fail to establish motor skills due to a weakness of muscles or poor organization in the movement control centers of the brain.

As a parent of a clumsy child, you may complain about your child's difficulties with everyday tasks such as tying shoelaces and brushing teeth. You may also notice school problems related to poor handwriting or social rejection arising from your child's clumsiness. Increased friction in the home environment can unfortunately result from delays in self-care skills such as buttoning clothes, brushing teeth and tying shoelaces. As in Johns case clumsiness if left unchecked can carry on through school and over into adult life.