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Technical detail

Motor coordination and executive demands can overlap

Different difficulties can affect the same activity

Developmental coordination disorder, often called dyspraxia, concerns motor coordination. ADHD can affect attention and organisation. The two can coexist, but a movement difficulty is not simply another name for distraction.

Notice whether the problem remains when the instructions are clear and you have time to concentrate. Describe that to the person assessing or supporting you rather than assuming every difficulty comes from ADHD.

Sources: 1, 2

Movement skill and task organisation need different support

A motor difficulty may need demonstration, practice or equipment. Losing the order of the same activity may need a visible sequence. Reminders alone cannot resolve a difficult movement.

When discussing an adjustment, separate performing the step from remembering to perform it. You may need both forms of support rather than a more demanding practice schedule.

Sources: 1, 3

Test the adjustment on what you need to do

Try an adjustment on a real activity: dressing, preparing food or using work equipment. Check whether it reduces effort and errors, not just whether you understand the instructions.

Condition-specific advice supports these approaches, but does not establish one tested package for every adult with both conditions. ADHD treatment may help attention without resolving the coordination difficulty itself.

Sources: 1, 4

Evidence and further reading

  1. NHS — Dyspraxia in adultsPublic health information; reviewed March 2026
  2. Updated European Consensus Statement on adult ADHD (2019)Expert consensus informed by research; not a new trial
  3. Sprich and colleagues — Description and Demonstration of CBT for ADHD in Adults (2010)Description of an ADHD-focused treatment; practical examples are not separate trial findings
  4. Royal College of Psychiatrists — ADHD in adultsPublic information from a professional body

Information checked September 2026. Evidence and treatment guidance can change.