Dyspraxia, or Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), does not affect intelligence but presents a wide range of difficulties that can impact daily living, academic achievement, and social interactions throughout life.
If you have dyspraxia it may affect: your co-ordination, balance and movement. how you learn new skills, think, and remember information at work and home. your daily living skills, such as dressing or preparing meals.
DCD is often confused with dyspraxia. Here's the thing, they are very similar and cause a lot of the same types of clumsiness and disorganisation. However, dyspraxia involves planning of tasks. A child with dyspraxia has difficulty to use toys and equipment in novel ways.
Dyspraxia can affect different children in different ways and to different degrees, varying from mild to severe. The problems may interfere with a child's ability to participate and function in daily activities and life skills, including education.
For the majority of those with the condition there is no known cause, however, current research suggests that it is the unresponsive or varied development of neurones in the brain, rather than brain damage, which form the foundations of dyspraxia.
Fact: There is no connection between dyspraxia and low IQ. Having dyspraxia does not mean a child isn't intelligent. However, the way children with dyspraxia behave might make them appear less capable than they are.
Dyspraxia in toddlers slows achievement of developmental milestones and ability with gross motor skills such as crawling and walking and fine motor activities such as gripping objects.
So, what are good jobs for people with dyspraxia?
Problems with movement and co-ordination are the main symptoms of DCD. Children may have difficulty with: playground activities such as hopping, jumping, running, and catching or kicking a ball. They often avoid joining in because of their lack of co-ordination and may find physical education difficult.
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.
What are the symptoms of dyspraxia? Children with dyspraxia may be late in reaching normal developmental milestones for example an early sign of dyspraxia is a child taking longer to roll over, sit, crawl, stand, walk, speak and toilet train.
Around 90% of autism cases are attributed to genetic factors, meaning autism is highly heritable, with many different genes contributing, rather than a single cause, often interacting with environmental influences during early brain development, though specific environmental factors don't cause it but can increase risk. Twin studies show strong genetic links, with concordance rates between 60-90% in identical twins, and research points to complex interactions of many genes and prenatal/perinatal factors.
Simple individual sports
- Swimming: This sport allows individuals with dyspraxia to focus on their own movements in the water, without having to interact with other players. - Running: By running, individuals with dyspraxia can work on their coordination and balance while progressing at their own pace.
The challenges that come with dyspraxia should never overshadow the incredible strengths that individuals with the condition bring to the table. By embracing these superpowers—creativity, problem-solving, persistence, empathy, and adaptability—organisations can harness a new level of innovation and performance.
Dyspraxia can make it difficult for people to maintain attention and focus, especially when there are distractions and interruptions. Some people can also experience excessive tiredness.
Instead, most healthcare professionals use the term developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD) to describe the condition.
Thumb-finding test. Your GP places your hands in a position of their choosing and then asks you to touch your thumb with your other thumb while your eyes are closed. Sequential finger-touching. Your GP will ask you to touch each of your fingers to your thumb, starting with your forefinger.
Dyspraxia Awareness Ribbon Purple & Blue Enamel Pin Badge / Brooch - Etsy UK.
While indicators of DCD/dyspraxia are varied they may include challenges in some or multiple of the more common areas:
The following famous people with dyspraxia have done exactly that by using their talents to help them overcome their challenges:
Occupational therapy is highly beneficial for individuals with Dyspraxia. Occupational therapy helps to develop and improve functional ability and also provide strategies and advice to help overcome any difficulties the individual is having with their ever day living.
Dyspraxic Strengths
Those who have DCD /dyspraxia are 4 times more likely to become obese4 and are less physically fit and more overweight especially in girls5 It is therefore important that those with DCD/dyspraxia are encouraged to be as physically active as possible.
Dyspraxic children often demonstrate some of the following types of behaviour: Inability to stay still (feet swinging, feet tapping, hand-clapping) Loud/shrill voice.
One example of how dyspraxia can affect functional vision is by causing problems with eye tracking. Reduced eye tracking means that the eyes are unable to move smoothly across a page of text, which impacts reading fluency and school grades.