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What is Dyspraxia?
Some children despite adequate teaching, a stimulating environment and with a generally normal intellect, have difficulty with movement and specific aspects of learning.
Dyspraxia is a difficulty with thinking out, planning and carrying out sensory / motor tasks.
How can Dyspraxia be recognised?
The child with dyspraxia may have a combination of several problems in varying degrees.
These include:
- Poor balance.
- Poor fine and gross motor co-ordination.
- Poor posture.
- Difficulty with throwing and catching a ball.
- Poor awareness of body position in space.
- Poor sense of direction.
- Difficulty hopping, skipping or riding a bike.
- Sensitive to touch.
- Confused about which hand to use.
- Intolerance of having hair or teeth brushed, nails and hair cut.
- Slow to learn to dress or feed themselves.
- Find some clothes uncomfortable.
- Difficulty with reading, writing.
- Speech problems - slow to learn to speak and speech may be incoherent.
- Phobias or obsessive behaviour and impatient.
Children with dyspraxia can be of average or above average intelligence but are often behaviourally immature. They try hard to fit in to socially accepted behaviour when at school but often throw tantrums when at home. They may find it difficult to understand logic and reason.
Not all children with dyspraxia have all of these problems. Many parents will say that their children have some of these problems but if your child has dyspraxia, either diagnosed or not, you may have observed a cluster of these difficulties.
There is no cure for dyspraxia but the earlier a child is treated, the greater the chance of improvement. Occupational therapists, physiotherapists and extra help at school can all help a child with dyspraxia to cope or overcome many difficulties, However, a lot of the skills that we take for granted will never become automatic to such children and they will have to be taught these skills.
Dyspraxia is also know by other names including:
'developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD)'
'clumsy child syndrome'
'the hidden handicap'
'motor learning problems'
'minimal brain dysfunction'
'or sensory integrative problems'.
Dyspraxia in the pre-school child
Indicators may include:
- History of lateness reaching milestones e.g. rolling over, sitting, walking and speaking.
- May not be able to run, hop or jump.
- Appears not to be able to learn anything instinctively but must be taught skills.
- Poor at dressing.
- Slow and hesitant in most actions.
- Poor pencil grip.
- cannot do jigsaw or shape-sorting games.
- Art work is very immature.
- Has no understanding of in / on / behind / in front of etc.
- Unable to catch or kick a ball.
Dyspraxia in the school age child
Indicators may include:
- All the problems of the pre-school child may still be present with little or no improvement.
- PE is avoided.
- the child does badly in class but significantly better on a one-to-one basis.
- Attention span is poor and the child may react to stimuli without discrimination.
- May have trouble with maths, copying from the blackboard.
- Writing is laborious and immature.
- Unable to remember and / or follow instruction.
- Generally poorly organised.
- Commonly anxious and distractible.
- Finds it difficult to keep friends or judge how to behave in company.
What do children with Dyspraxia need?
Children with dyspraxia benefit most from one-to-one therapy. They need the support of qualified professionals on a regular basis to help them reach their full potential. Children with dyspraxia need support and understanding in the educational system.
What does the family of a child with Dyspraxia need?
The challenges presented by living with a child with dyspraxia frequently go unrecognised outside the immediate family unit. In addition to the normal stresses and strains of raising a family in today's society, families of children with dyspraxia cope daily with their child's ongoing frustration at their own limitations.
They also cope with the demand and strain of constant teaching. Families must also deal with their child being misunderstood by the general community and in the educational system.
What families need most is for dyspraxia to be better understood and recognised. With greater awareness, both professionals and the general community could respond to the needs of families in a more supportive way by providing adequate therapy, adequate support in the educational system and practical support to families.
What about the future?
Dyspraxia is not curable. However, prognosis is hopeful in that the child will improve in some areas with growing maturity. Children can be helped to a large extent with the appropriate treatment to overcome the continuing problems which they may face.
What is the Dyspraxia Association?
Formed in 1995 by parents of children with dyspraxia, the Association aims to:
- raise awareness of dyspraxia in Ireland and create a better understanding of the difficulties children and parents face.
- ensure adequate resources are available to support the needs of children with dyspraxia. This includes occupational therapy, speech therapy, physiotherapy; psychological support and education.
- provide an information sharing and support network for parents.
- improve diagnostic services.
- organise meetings for parents and their children.
- provide a parent / professional link.
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