Even more concerning, childhood clumsiness is associated with long-haul issues such as social isolation and anxiety. “Repeated frustration with motor tasks can lead to poor academic performance, low self-esteem, behavior problems and depression,” says Lisa Dannemiller, an associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Studies suggest kids with DCD are two to three times as likely to show signs of clinical depression as neurotypical kids.