What parents need to know about their children with Dyspraxia

by Brandon E. Knight

What is ‘Dyspraxia?’ Well according to dyspraxiausa.org, “Developmental Dyspraxia (also known as Developmental Co-ordination Disorder, and the Clumsy Child Syndrome) is a neurologically based disorder of the processes involved in praxis or the planning of movement to achieve a predetermined idea or purpose, which may affect the acquisition of new skills and the execution of those already learned.”

In other words, Dyspraxia is an impairment, or an immaturity in the way the brain processes information. It affects coordination of movement, speech and thought, and in all but extreme cases is very hard to recognize or diagnose, which is why most children living with dyspraxia never know it, and therefore never get the extra assistance they need to function normally.It is what is known as a ‘hidden handicap’ and most children with the condition can appear perfectly normal, however there are various warning signs, such as:

Infants and toddlers:
* Difficulties with certain food allergies
* Problems establishing a sleeping pattern
* Does not crawl or potty train
* Constantly moving arms and legs.;
* Repetitive behaviours: head banging or rolling
* Avoids constructional toys such as jigsaws and Lego
* Delayed language development: single words not evident until age 3
* Concentration limited to 2 or 3 minutes on any task

Adolescents:
* Temper tantrums
* Constantly bumping into objects and falling
* No sense of danger, jump from inappropriate heights
* Often spill liquid from drinking cups
* Poor fine motor skills such as pencil grip, use of utensils and scissors and immature drawings
* Problems with comprehension
* Tasks left unfinished

You should also know that dyspraxia is not as uncommon as you might think. The World Health Organization states in their ‘Diagnostic and Statistics Manual-IV’, that it ‘affects 6% of all children to varying degrees, while other estimates vary between 10-20%’. And although dyspraxia, as with most psychological handicaps, is not curable,’ it is treatable and there are many resources available to help you cope with living with a dyspraxic child.

. For example:
* Providing opportunities for practising handwriting patterns and letter formation
* Providing guide-lines to keep writing straight
* Limiting the amount of writing required by providing ready-printed sheets or alternative means of recording
* Buy shoes with Velcro, not laces or buckles
* Choose loose clothing with large buttons
* Play ball games (rolling to start with, progressing to throwing and catching over small distance with large ball,etc.)
* Talk about directions and positions: right and left, in front of and behind play a game with a toy (‘put Teddy behind the chair, under the table’ etc.)
* Provide coloring pens, pencils, crayons and encourage them to draw, colour in and write

Bottom line, caring for a child with dyspraxia can indeed be an easier role than you think if you just educate yourself on the symptoms, solutions and resources available. I recommend building and maintaining a good relationship with a local specialist. Keep in mind that dyspraxia can affect not only coordination and cognitive skills, but also communication skills and even diet, so be sure to pay close attention to the minor details of your childs behavior and activities, as it may give you a good insight into the type of treatment available to you and your loved one.

Resources:
http://www.brightfutures.org – Bright Futures at Georgetown University
http://www.learningdifferences .com – Learning DisAbilities Resources Products
http://www.ncld.org – National Center for Learning Disabilities

Reference:
http://www.dyspraxiausa.org/in dex.php/The-Facts-on-Dyspraxia .html
http://www.squidoo.com/dysprax ia