Dealing with Dyspraxia

May 29, 2017

• Advice for Parents

Developmental coordination disorder (DCD), also known as dyspraxia in the UK, is one of the most common motor disorders in the world, affecting around 6% of children.

DCD can hamper both gross and fine motor controls, meaning sufferers can have trouble with everything from walking up stairs to tying their shoelaces; it can also cause problems with handwriting, spatial awareness, short-term memory, organisational skills and speech. In the 1970s the disorder was called ‘clumsy child syndrome’ because of its central symptom of movement and coordination problems, but it is important to recognise the equally debilitating issues caused by disorganisation, language skills and even discerning left from right.

Dyspraxia is linked with other disorders like dyslexia and ADHD, and because these sometimes overlap it can be difficult to accurately diagnose the specific problem. Speech impediments, for example, are picked up on quicker than reading issues, simply because children learn to speak before they learn to write. It is also the case that sufferers can have some of the symptoms of dyspraxia, like a lack of spatial awareness, without others, like memory loss; in fact, like similar disorders, dyspraxia exists on a spectrum in which many people have a mild form of the problem, and this is another reason why a diagnosis might be delayed or inaccurate. Nevertheless, if you do suspect your child may be displaying some of these symptoms, make sure you consult a doctor.

There is no cure for dyspraxia so these issues will persist into adulthood, but there are ways to help people live with the disorder. Many organisational and spatial problems can be alleviated by making changes to the environment, like ensuring that everything is within easy reach and is easily identifiable; this can help to develop habitual behaviours, which are often vital for making life as easy as possible for those with motor-related problems. With an issue such as handwriting (also termed dysgraphia), there seems to be some evidence that children find typing on a computer to be easier, though there is a concern that this will be difficult to handle in classroom situations. Ultimately it is important to maintain a child’s self-esteem and confidence, as dyspraxia can have a negative effect on their social development – although therapy may help a child learn to deal with the difficulties of their disorder, it can sometimes make them feel as though they are a ‘problem’ in need of ‘curing’. These kinds of attitudes will not help to alleviate the issues they may already be facing.

You might also consider utilising a tutoring service to help with the education needs of your child. Due to the specific needs of each sufferer, it can be difficult for schools to give appropriate time and care into formulating a learning program that the child will benefit from, especially if they have problems that are at odds with the usual way of teaching a class with regard to writing and reading. Tutors can also help to further develop a child’s confidence in their own academic abilities, allowing them to excel not only in their schoolwork but in social situations as well.

It is important, as always, to recognise that children with dyspraxia are still children with strengths and weaknesses, and that all they need is some extra organisation to ease those weaknesses and utilise those strengths. The goal should always be the happiness and self-assurance of the child, and it should not be assumed that such disorders close them off from any walks of life – after all, Daniel Radcliffe, aka Harry Potter, suffers from dyspraxia!

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