When our daughter (we’ll call her Miss G) was a toddler, we noticed lots of “little things” about her movement, energy and coordination that didn’t quite match what we were seeing in other children. On their own, none of them seemed like a big red flag.
Together, they were important clues that eventually led us to seek support from therapists in Perth who understood hypermobility, Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD) and Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD).
For Perth families, it can be hard to know when a child is just a bit bendy or clumsy, and when it might be something more. This blog shares our lived experience, explains what hypermobility and HSD can look like in children, and points you towards the kinds of local Perth child health professionals who can help.
Our Perth Family’s Story: The Signs We Noticed With Miss G
Miss G was diagnosed with Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD) at 4 years old and Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) at 5. Five is the earliest age DCD can be formally diagnosed, but her therapists had suggested for some time that this might explain her coordination and motor challenges.
Some of the first things we noticed were related to movement and milestones:
- An odd crawling pattern with a visible leg drag that didn’t look like the typical crawling we saw in other babies.
- Very bendy joints – she had what people often call “party tricks” and an unusually large range of movement.
- Slower to walk compared with her older brother. Not extremely delayed, but enough for us to wonder whether there was more going on.
As Miss G grew older and started group activities in Perth, such as local dance classes, the differences stood out more clearly:
- She found it much harder to jump with two feet together, hop and skip like the other children.
- Movements that looked effortless for her peers required a lot of effort and concentration from her.
We also noticed day-to-day tasks were more challenging than expected for her age:
- Putting shoes on and taking them off took a long time and extra support.
- Turning taps on and off to wash her hands or using water fountains at kindy were unexpectedly difficult. These “little things” carry a big load when you’re thinking about school readiness in Perth.
At school, challenges with fine motor skills started to affect her emotionally. In kindy, Miss G developed strong school anxiety when she realised other children could write their names more quickly and neatly than she could. For her, writing was slow, effortful and painful – her hand would hurt after short periods.
We also saw extreme fatigue with walking moderate distances. Outings in Perth that many families take for granted, like a day at the Perth Zoo, became very difficult. As she grew out of her pram, piggybacks and shoulder rides, we started using a beach cart and now a wheelchair for longer days out so she can still participate without being completely exhausted.
All of these clues together led us to seek help from Perth paediatric occupational therapists, physiotherapists and exercise physiologists with experience in hypermobility, HSD and DCD.
What Is Hypermobility and HSD in Children?
Many children are naturally flexible. It’s common to see kids in Perth schools and playgrounds who can sit in unusual positions, easily do the splits or twist themselves into what look like impressive “contortionist” poses. For most children, this flexibility is harmless and does not cause any pain, fatigue or disruption to daily life.
Hypermobility becomes more than “just bendy” when:
- Joints move too far and are not well supported by muscles or connective tissue.
- A child tires quickly with walking, sport or play, even at a young age.
- A child frequently complains of pain, headaches or what might be dismissed as “growing pains”.
- Everyday tasks such as writing, using cutlery, doing up buttons, or managing shoes are much harder than expected.
- They seem clumsy or uncoordinated compared with similarly aged peers.
For a proportion of the population, hypermobility is part of a broader Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD) or is linked with other conditions such as DCD. HSD can be multisystemic, which means it doesn’t just affect the joints. It can also be associated with:
- Anxiety
- Gastrointestinal (GI) issues
- Migraines and headaches
- Chronic pain
- Significant fatigue
Understanding this bigger picture helps families make sense of what they’re seeing and seek out appropriate support rather than assuming a child is just “lazy”, “dramatic” or “not sporty”.
[INSERT EVIDENCE-BASED SUMMARY/QUOTE FROM A PERTH PAEDIATRICIAN OR RESEARCH SOURCE HERE EXPLAINING HSD/DCD IN CHILDREN AND THEIR MULTISYSTEMIC NATURE.]
The Overlap With Autism, ADHD and Neurodivergence
Another important piece of the puzzle is the link between hypermobility, HSD/DCD and neurodivergent conditions such as autism and ADHD.
Research indicates that children with autism or ADHD are around twice as likely to also experience conditions like HSD and DCD. That means:
- A child may already be diagnosed as autistic or as having ADHD, but their motor coordination difficulties or hypermobility have not yet been recognised.
- Families might be told their child is “just clumsy” or “just anxious”, when there may be underlying motor or connective tissue differences contributing to their challenges.
- Children may be working much harder than their peers to do everyday tasks – from writing and participating in sport to simply managing longer walks.
When families and health professionals in Perth consider neurodivergence and hypermobility together, it often becomes much easier to understand the whole child and tailor support. This can help with:
- Appropriate school adjustments and accommodations.
- Realistic expectations around stamina, handwriting and physical activity.
- Reducing stress on the child and the family.
[INSERT QUOTE OR COMMENT FROM A PERTH CLINICIAN OR RESEARCH REFERENCE ON THE LINK BETWEEN AUTISM/ADHD AND HSD/DCD, WITH A SHORT, PLAIN-LANGUAGE EXPLANATION.]
When to Seek Support – and Who Can Help in Perth
Not every bendy or clumsy child in Perth has HSD or DCD, and most children with flexible joints won’t experience ongoing issues. But if you are noticing several of the following, it can be worth discussing with your GP or paediatrician:
- Frequent complaints of tired legs, sore joints or headaches
- Clear differences in coordination or stamina compared with peers
- A big gap between what your child wants to do (socially or physically) and what their body seems to manage
- Ongoing struggles with fine motor tasks and handwriting, despite lots of practice
You can also seek assessment and support from allied health clinicians who understand hypermobility and child development, such as:
- Paediatric occupational therapists in Perth
- Paediatric physiotherapists in Perth
- Paediatric exercise physiologists in Perth
- Paediatricians and other specialists familiar with HSD, DCD and neurodivergent conditions
The Perth Kids Hub directory is designed to help you find local child health and development professionals across Western Australia, including therapists with specific expertise in hypermobility, HSD, DCD, autism and ADHD.
[INSERT 1–2 SHORT QUOTES OR TESTIMONIAL-STYLE COMMENTS FROM LOCAL PERTH FAMILIES OR CLINICIANS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF EARLY, SPECIALISED SUPPORT.]
Key Takeaways for Perth Families
- Many children in Perth are naturally flexible and never experience any problems with their bendy joints.
- For some children, however, hypermobility is part of a larger picture such as Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD) or Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), which can affect movement, energy, pain levels, anxiety and everyday function.
- Children who are autistic or have ADHD are more likely to also have HSD or DCD, so it’s important to consider this overlap when you’re seeking support.
- Understanding these conditions doesn’t change who your child is, but it does change the type of help you can access and how you can advocate for them at school, in sport and in daily life.
Use the Perth Kids Hub child health and development directory to search for Perth-based occupational therapists, physiotherapists, exercise physiologists and paediatricians with experience in hypermobility, HSD, DCD, autism and ADHD. Reaching out for assessment or advice is not overreacting – it’s giving your child the best chance to participate, connect and thrive in their own way.
[OPTIONAL: ADD A SHORT SECTION OR SIDEBAR WITH LINKS/REFERENCES TO EVIDENCE-BASED RESOURCES, E.G. AUSTRALIAN OR INTERNATIONAL HSD/DCD GUIDELINES, REPUTABLE CHARITIES OR PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIOCIATIONS.]
