Child Development - RESEARCH

Motor Coordination: Enhancing Understanding and Support

Assessing children's motor skills is critical for early detection of developmental issues influencing cognitive and social growth. Proficient motor skills contribute to academic success, good self-esteem, and overall physical well-being, impacting daily activities and adaptive functioning. Identifying disruptions in neurodevelopment affecting motor skills is essential, guiding targeted interventions for comprehensive child development.

Main Research Call – 2025

In 2025, we will be inviting applications for research projects aimed at advancing the understanding and treatment of Dyspraxia or motor coordination difficulties in general. We are particularly interested in proposals that align with the following key areas:

1. Advancing the Understanding of DCD

We are seeking research projects that will deepen scientific knowledge of Dyspraxia through:

• Brain Imaging: Studies that use advanced neuroimaging techniques to understand the neural mechanisms underpinning DCD.
• Improved Phenotyping: Projects that focus on better defining and categorising the characteristics of DCD to enhance diagnosis and treatment approaches.

2. Motor Coordination Difficulties in Other Neurodevelopmental Conditions

In addition to DCD-specific studies, we welcome research exploring motor coordination difficulties as they manifest within other neurodevelopmental conditions such as ASD and ADHD.

Proposals in this area may include understanding the shared or distinct motor coordination challenges across these conditions, or interventions designed to address motor skills within a broader neurodevelopmental framework.

3. Supporting Interventions to Enhance Motor Skills

We also invite applications that develop and test interventions designed to improve motor skills in children with neurodevelopmental conditions or otherwise typically developing, particularly those that emphasise real-world applications in schools, homes, and communities. Please note that while international research is valued, we encourage interventions focused on the UK context, ensuring local relevance and implementation.

Whilst we have an interest in motor development in general it is unlikely we would support a project looking at motor development within another condition (such as cerebral palsy or epilepsy) than those outlined in our main interests or within a typically developing children.

We look forward to receiving innovative proposals that will contribute to the field of DCD research and motor skills and support practical interventions for children.

Please see the active research calls page for information on the deadlines and timelines for this call.

Dyspraxia Small Grants (2025): Expanding Research Horizons

As announced in 2024, we are still keen to offer small grants (£10k-15k) for research projects exploring new avenues within Dyspraxia studies. This would include qualitative research, studies involving adults, and supporting pilot data collection for larger funding applications. Unfortunately, the call for these grants has been delayed and will now likely be late summer 2025. We will be welcoming applications from UK-based researchers for these, while our main research call remains open to international universities.