Love in Motion: Navigating Relationships with a Partner Who Has Dyspraxia

Let’s face it: every relationship involves a bit of learning. You learn how your partner thinks, how they communicate, how they move through the world. But when your partner has dyspraxia—also known as Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)—that learning curve can feel a little steeper, especially if you’re not familiar with what dyspraxia actually is.

Maybe your partner trips over things often or struggles with buttons or time management. Maybe their coordination challenges show up in ways you weren’t expecting. And maybe, you’re learning to support them while also navigating your own emotions.

This post is for you.

Whether you're dating someone with dyspraxia, in a long-term partnership, or married, this guide will help you better understand how to build a relationship based on empathy, flexibility, and mutual care.

What Is Dyspraxia?

Dyspraxia (or DCD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects movement, coordination, motor planning, and sometimes organization, memory, and emotional regulation. While it's often diagnosed in childhood, many adults go undiagnosed—or develop workarounds that help them function but leave them quietly struggling.

Dyspraxia is not a reflection of intelligence or motivation. It’s about how the brain processes and plans movement and coordination. This can affect fine motor skills (like handwriting or tying shoelaces), gross motor skills (like running or climbing stairs), or even things like speech, sequencing, and time management.

Dating Someone with Dyspraxia: What It Might Look Like

At first, dyspraxia might not be super obvious. You might notice little things:

• They bump into furniture a lot

• They need extra time getting ready

• They're easily overwhelmed in loud or crowded spaces

• They struggle with time or routines

• Their handwriting is hard to read, or typing is slow

• They avoid certain physical tasks like driving or sports

What’s underneath these signs is often a brain that’s working extra hard to navigate the world—and a person who has likely been misunderstood more than once.

Dyspraxia in Relationships: The Hidden Challenges

One of the hardest parts about dyspraxia is that it’s invisible to most people. Your partner may look “totally fine,” but inside they may feel clumsy, anxious, or ashamed.

This can impact your relationship in subtle ways:

• They may struggle with self-confidence

• They might get frustrated with tasks others find easy

• They could avoid asking for help out of fear of being seen as “too much”

• They may mask their struggles, which leads to burnout

Understanding this can shift how you interpret their behavior. What might look like forgetfulness or disorganization could actually be a result of dyspraxia-related processing challenges.

Loving a Partner with Dyspraxia: Their Unique Strengths

It’s easy to focus on the struggles, but let’s not overlook the incredible strengths many dyspraxic individuals bring to relationships.

People with dyspraxia are often:

• Creative problem solvers

• Resilient and determined

• Emotionally intuitive, especially after years of navigating complex environments

• Empathetic, because they know what it’s like to feel “different”

• Honest and authentic—they often don’t bother with pretense

• Highly focused in areas of interest

When your partner’s environment supports their strengths (and doesn’t shame their differences), these qualities shine.

How You Can Support a Partner with Dyspraxia

Support doesn’t mean micromanaging or rescuing—it means creating a relationship where both of you feel seen, safe, and understood. Here are a few therapist-informed ways to support your partner with dyspraxia:

1. Be Patient with Tasks That Take More Time

Whether it’s tying shoes, organizing a suitcase, or planning a route, dyspraxia can slow things down. That’s okay.

What helps:

• Give extra time for getting ready or transitioning

• Avoid rushing unless absolutely necessary

• Remember: speed ≠ intelligence

2. Be Clear and Direct with Communication

Multi-step instructions or vague expectations can feel overwhelming. Break things down when possible—and offer it with kindness.

What helps:

• Write things down if needed

• Check in without assuming they “should just know”

• Be open to repetition and reminders—it’s not forgetfulness, it’s how their brain works

3. Don’t Shame Clumsiness or Messiness

They already know they bumped into the doorframe. They already feel embarrassed when they spill the drink. You don’t need to point it out.

What helps:

• Offer empathy, not teasing

• Normalize accidents (we all drop things sometimes)

• Help clean up with them, not for them

4. Create Shared Routines and Visual Aids

Visual schedules, shared calendars, to-do lists—these things aren’t just helpful; they’re often essential.

What helps:

• Color-coded calendars

• Whiteboards or sticky notes

• Gentle reminders and encouragement when routines slip

5. Validate Their Experience

Dyspraxic people are often told they’re being lazy, messy, or dramatic. Your job is to be a safe person—someone who listens without minimizing.

What helps:

• Say things like: “That makes sense,” or “I can see how that would be frustrating.”

• Ask: “How can I support you right now?”

• Reassure them that they’re not a burden for having needs

Marriage and Dyspraxia: Building a Life Together

Marriage brings a new level of partnership—and for dyspraxic partners, it can also bring more complexity. Think: paperwork, schedules, house chores, family obligations… all of which may require careful coordination.

Here’s how to support each other through it:

Divide Tasks Based on Strengths

Maybe you take the lead on certain logistical things, while they shine in creativity or emotional insight. Relationships don’t have to be 50/50 all the time—they need to be balanced in a way that works for both of you.

Talk Openly About Frustrations

If one partner is feeling overwhelmed—whether it’s from taking on too much or struggling with expectations—talk about it. Blame solves nothing. Collaboration does.

Build in Time for Resetting

Dyspraxic adults may need more downtime than others to recharge from sensory or motor-related overwhelm. Respect that. It doesn’t mean they don’t want to engage—it means their system is asking for rest.

Seek Help When You Need It

Counseling—individually or as a couple—can be an incredible space to process, learn, and grow. Therapists familiar with neurodiversity can help you develop communication strategies, deepen your emotional connection, and ease resentment before it builds.

Final Thoughts: Love in Motion

Loving someone with dyspraxia means learning to move with them—not ahead of them, not around them, but with them.

It means giving grace for the dropped keys, the forgotten appointment, the fumbled shoelaces.
It means noticing the way they show up with heart, humor, creativity, and resilience.
It means knowing that your relationship might look different—and that’s not a flaw. That’s a story unfolding in its own unique rhythm.

With a little patience, curiosity, and communication, love in motion becomes just that: a beautiful dance between two people doing their best to meet each other where they are.

Want support navigating neurodivergent relationships?
I offer therapy for individuals and couples working through the emotional, practical, and communication challenges that come with ADHD, dyspraxia, autism, and more. Let’s build something that works for you.