Conditions
Dyspraxia
Dyspraxia is also known as developmental co-ordination disorder, and is the partial loss of the ability to co-ordinate and perform movements and gestures. This often leads to clumsiness, lack of coordination and problems with language, perception and thought. Symptoms are normally noticeable from an early age where it takes longer for a sufferer to roll over, sit, crawl, stand, walk, speak and toilet train. However, dyspraxia can affect people in lots of different ways, with a sufferer being able to perform a task one day and the not be able to the next. While dyspraxia does not affect how intelligent a child is, it does affect a child’s ability to learn and often needs extra help at school.
A recent study suggested that only 2 in every one hundred children have the condition with boys being four times more likely to have dyspraxia than girls. But the condition can run in the family and develop alongside existing conditions such as ADHD and dyslexia.
The cause of dyspraxia is unknown, but recent medical thought suggests that the condition may be caused by motor neurones in the brain not developing properly. Motor neurones are nerve cells that pass signals from the brain to the muscles to control movement. There has also been links between dyspraxia and premature birth, being born with a low birth weight and maternal smoking, drug use and alcohol use. It can additionally be acquired as a result of brain damage, for instance from a stroke or a head injury.
There is no cure for dyspraxia but there are therapies available that can help control the symptoms such as speech and language therapy, physiotherapy and occupational therapy to allow the sufferer to remain independent. Perceptual motor training may also be prescribed. This is a series of exercises that cover language skills, hearing and listening skills and movement skills to help control the symptoms of dyspraxia. A clinical psychologist and educational psychologist can help with the emotional and psychological impact of living with the condition. However, for children displaying mild symptoms the condition can disappear as they reach adulthood. This is still quiet rare though, with 9 out of 10 children continuing to have difficulties as a teenager and into adulthood.
There are various online tests available to help give you an indication of whether you might have dyspraxia. One of these is provided by Dore and is available below.
Take the Dore Dyspraxia test >
Find out more about Dyspraxia from The Dyspraxia Foundation >
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My Little boy who is 5 suffers with Dyspraxia and DCD (Development Cord Discorder)and oral dyspraxia but also suffers very badly with migranes, gets one every 2 / 3 wks soon he will be having a brain scan, but is anyone else that suffers with dyspraxia get bad migranes or do you think it could all be connected? Do you think to much learning at once in school is too much to cope with? please help
Hi... Yes my son for years sufferd with migrains before he was diagnosed with dyspraxia they told me he was attention seeking but when he turned 7 he was finally diagnosed he's now 11 and still suffers really bad migrains. Stacey
Thank you Stacey for your comment, do you think the migraines is connected to migraines?, what do you do to help yor little boy, finally school have decided to give my little boy Charlie rest periods to try and help with the little headaches.
I am a 22 year old woman who was diagnosed with mild Dyspraxia at a young age? Is dyspraxia passed on genetically? I don't want any child going through what I had to go through.
I was diagnosed with mild dyspraxia as a child but have no idea what was discussed during this meeting or what was recorded on my medical record, my mother refuses to speak about it. Now I am 19, is there a way for me to find out what was said and put on my record and whether I should have/can receive any help for it?
While I would not try and prevent someone from applying for a test if they have dyspraxia, it should be pointed out that diagnosis is not the easy solution. For mature people it can be particularly difficult and even traumatic. I was diagnosed while attending a college course and I felt hindered because it knocked my confidence. College psychotherapists do not look at how you can modify the effects.Even my husband questioned whether i was better off in blissful ignorance.If you have the opportunity to attend some form of specialist occupational therapy which is probably far more helpful
hi my son is 7 and been diagonised with dyspraxia he doesnt sit still always claps his hand or spins a ball or teddy in his hands he is a messy eater cant ride a bike and struggles with getting dressed he constantly answers back and argues im finding it hard can anyone please help many thanks
Hiya try www.dyspraxiauk.com - they have a helpline and may be able to give you some advice
I'm exactly the same my boy is 10 and the older he's got the worse its gone I'm finding so hard with him at the moment. Stacey
I've always been smart but it doesn't mean i haven't struggled. I haven't been to be checked out as this is this 1st time hearing about dyspraxia, it would however explain why i often; slip down the stairs, spill my drinks on the carpet, scribble when i try and write fast, take a considerably long time attempting to write neat, find it difficult to learn without visual, auditory and kinestetic techniques. i'm of a good weight but was usually one of the last picked in p.e and i've never been able to just grasp new activities or concepts, everything has to be overly worked out and it's just so mentally draining. I'm sick of not being able to control what my body does, (i'm an adult but i still feel the need to ask others to tie my laces for me) at least maybe if i was diagnosed it would be some answer and would make me feel more content knowing.
Einstein couldn't tie his shoe laces as an adult!! Try www.dyspraxiauk.com - they also have a helpline and facebook page
I have a few scaly patches at the tops of my thighs,I`ve been to the doctor & have been prescribed ointment which is basically like vasaline.I have also used aqeous cream, but none of them have helped.The patches don`t itch, but they are a bit sore at times,& I wish that I could get rid of them. Has anyone any suggestions as to what might help?
hydrocortisone cream seems to help the affected area on the inside of my thighs, it doesn't feel nice but i get relief for a while and i get more choice of what to wear. it's normally used for people with dry or damaged skin (especially eczema sufferers). key thing is never to pick or scratch at things, i know from force of habit that it most deffinately doesn't help :/
can anyone please help? my son is 9 and we are sure he has dispraxia, we have seen a report on tv about kids with dispraxia and he was just like them, a freind knows somone whos son was diagnosed with dispraxia an she says my son is exactly the same. I have looked at the list of symptoms and most of them apply to him. I have spoken to our gp about this and she refered us to the school doctor who made me feel small and was adoment that he "only has problems with his fine motovation skills". He was slow developing as a baby, clumsy, tripping over, messy eater, scruffy writing, avoids physical activities, cant catch balls, tie laces or do buttons, cant dress himself properly and walks around the playground clapping his hands in a trance like state. I really need some advice on what to do with him and am deeply worried about him!
Our son had all the same symptoms and we had a similar response from school at the same age. Don't accept what they say & go back and ask for the Special Education Needs Manager or Learning Support to assess his needs to get him practical help with specifics such as handwriting, support getting changed, socilaising etc. They can put together an Individual Education Plan detailing his needs and the support they agree to give. You also need to push them for a referral to see a specialist for a proper diagnosis and if the school won't help go back to your GP and nag them. Also look at the Dyspraxia Foundation, they are very helpful and have lots of good advice on their website. Good luck, it is a fight but you have to keep at them go with your gut feel about what's best for your boy.
Hi, I've actually got Dhyspraxia and I can't do Physical Activity stuff (I'm still at school) yes and I need help with doing laces I understand that u r worried about you're son.But I PROMISE you it's ok all he needs is a little help with jobs/activities/stuff that he needs help with. Hope This Helps! :) P:S Do U Like Michael McIntyre?
Hi you may find some help on www.dyspraxiauk.com - they have a helpline number as well so may be able to give some advice
Hi I have recently returned to University as a mature student. The University has undertaken an initial screening and found I have a lot of indicators for dyspraxia. This was a bit of a shock at the age of 47! I am having a full screening in a fortnight's time. Dyspraxia screening can be expensive. If anyone is at University or College, and thinks they have it, funding may be available via Student Support. I have no idea what, if anything, the University can do to help if I do have dyspraxia - but if I do have it, and it is diagnosed - I can at least develop my own coping strategies. Who knows? I might even be a bit more patient with myself - which could be a very positive thing. :)
I was diagnosed as being dyspraxic when i was fourteen. My teachers never thought that i would amount to anything. So I wasn't allowd to sit the courses at school that i wanted to, because they didn't want me lowering their pass marks. It took me 15 years but i eventually got some confidence and i now have a degree in biomedical sciences and am a biomedical scientist. So looks like i'm not as thick as they thought i was :)
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