There is evidence that exposure to high levels of alcohol, or to illegal drugs during pregnancy, can cause dyspraxia, although exposure to these toxins will have many other additional effects too.
While they do not get worse over time, their challenges may become more apparent with increasing academic demands. They have to work harder and/or differently than their peers to achieve the same goals. Despite their difficulties, pupils with dyspraxia can and do learn to perform some motor tasks quite well.
Emotions as a result of difficulties experienced:
Tend to get stressed, depressed and anxious easily. May have difficulty sleeping. Prone to low self-esteem, emotional outbursts, phobias, fears, obsessions, compulsions and addictive behaviour.
Dyspraxia can make it difficult for children to develop social skills, and they may have trouble getting along with peers. Though they are intelligent, these children may seem immature and some may develop phobias and obsessive behavior.
generally it impacts fine motor skills (e.g. holding a pencil) and/or gross motor skills (e.g. riding a bicycle). It can also impact the ability to organise yourself, remember information and control actions. processing differences. They may be sensory avoidant e.g. leaving a room when noises are too loud for them.
Dyspraxia is commonly identified alongside dyslexia – some reports even suggest that half of dyslexic children exhibit symptoms characteristic of dyspraxia. Attention difficulties and dyspraxia may also co-present, as can dyspraxia and autism spectrum disorder.
Many Australian children struggle with dyspraxia, a condition that disrupts the messages that travel from a child's brain to the muscles of their body. Dyspraxia (also called apraxia) is a neurologically based developmental disability that is typically present from birth.
For children under 7 in Australia, a formal diagnosis of DCD can form the basis for an Early Child Early Intervention Plan with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Funding through this plan may assist with the necessary therapy.
So although there are similarities, autism is primarily a social and communication disorder and dyspraxia is primarily a motor skills disorder. If your child has one of these conditions but you feel they also have other difficulties, you may think about further assessment.
Tiredness and fatigue are overwhelming for many adults who have dyspraxia due to the effort it takes in planning, prioritising, processing and performing everyday tasks whilst trying not to get distracted.
There is increasing evidence of associated anxiety, depression, behavioural disorders and low self-esteem in children, teenagers and young adults with dyspraxia/DCD: • Children with DCD exhibit more aggressive behaviour that age-matched controls (Chen et al 2009).
Over sensitive – dyspraxic people are often over sensitive to light, sound and/or touch. Therefore, they may find sounds louder than normal, not like to be touched, squint more often than most or be easily distracted by noise.
being born prematurely, before the 37th week of pregnancy. being born with a low birth weight. having a family history of DCD, although it is not clear exactly which genes may be involved in the condition. the mother drinking alcohol or taking illegal drugs while pregnant.
Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) or Dyspraxia is commonly associated with difficulties with movement, when in fact there are many strengths associated with this neurotype. Big picture thinking, problem solving, tenacity, creativity and empathy are all qualities associated with DCD.
Dyspraxia is most commonly caused by stroke or acquired brain injury. There are 2 types of Dyspraxia: (1) Oral dyspraxia– difficulty with non-verbal tasks - when asked to do so (E.g. please poke out your tongue), however the person can perform non-verbal tasks successfully and automatically (E.g. licking an ice cream).
You may be entitled to receive a benefit from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) if your child has dyspraxia/attention deficit/dyslexia etc. DLA stands for Disability Living Allowance and it is not means tested, nor is it taxable. There are 2 elements to it – caring and mobility.
Dyspraxia/DCD Definition
This condition is formally recognised by international organisations including the World Health Organisation. DCD is distinct from other motor disorders such as cerebral palsy and stroke. The range of intellectual ability is in line with the general population.
Dyspraxia can affect an individual's ability to plan and coordinate movements, so it can clearly impact their ability to work. Since work involves everyday activities and dyspraxia hinders those, it's considered a disability under the Equality Act 2010.
The effects of dyspraxia
Anxiety and depression are fairly common in individuals with dyspraxia. The Dyspraxia Foundation reports that “there is increasing evidence of associated anxiety, depression, behavioural disorders and low self-esteem in children, teenagers and young adults with dyspraxia”.
In general, a dyspraxia diagnosis should not prevent you from learning to drive. Sure, you'll have to accept that it will be harder for you to get to grips with the basics and the whole process could take longer than average, but it's not a solid roadblock.
Dyspraxia is a lifelong condition, although a person's difficulties can change over time depending on their environment and the tasks they have to complete in their everyday life. Estimates of how many people have dyspraxia range from 5-18% of the population.
Apraxia is usually caused by damage to the parietal lobes or to nerve pathways that connect these lobes to other parts of the brain, such as frontal and/or temporal lobes. These areas store memories of learned sequences of movements. Less often, apraxia results from damage to other areas of the brain.
Daniel Radcliffe (Actor)
Best known for his titular role in the Harry Potter films, Daniel revealed that he had a mild form of dyspraxia in 2008 in an interview for his Broadway debut in Equus. He was unsuccessful at school and 'he sometimes still has trouble tying his shoelaces.
Sleeping difficulties, including wakefulness at night and nightmares. Growing awareness of difficulties, affecting confidence and self-esteem. May report physical symptoms such as headaches and feeling sick.