| First of all Dyspraxia IS NOT Dyslexia - they are two | | | | class of 30 children, and we need to make sure that |
| different conditions and have very different effects. | | | | everyone understands and knows how best to help |
| Many people have heard of Dyslexia but are not so | | | | this significant minority. |
| aware of Dyspraxia. | | | | TIP 1 Its important to know at this point that |
| Its funny out everything has a label these days and it | | | | Dyspraxia and Dyspraxic children are all individual and |
| makes things seem to just appear - "oh everyone | | | | their challenges, needs and symptoms can vary |
| seems to have this ADHD these days" - but often | | | | greatly. Their conditions are not usually clear cut |
| this labelling is actually just re-labelling. In the case of | | | | either as they can also have other "overlap" |
| Dyspraxia it is nothing new and was more commonly | | | | conditions such as Dyslexia, ADHD, Dyscalculia, |
| known as clumsy child syndrome which of course is | | | | Autism, etc. |
| no longer PC. | | | | TIP 2 Having a child who has dyspraxia affects the |
| Developmental dyspraxia is an impairment or | | | | whole family. You may find that you gear all family |
| immaturity of the organisation of movement. It is an | | | | life around the needs of that child, I've done it |
| immaturity in the way that the brain processes | | | | myself, but it is possible that this can leave brothers |
| information, which results in messages not being | | | | and sisters feeling jealous and neglected. |
| properly or fully transmitted. The term dyspraxia | | | | To help everyone, you could |
| comes from the word praxis, which means 'doing, | | | | - Try activities which involve the whole family equally |
| acting'. Dyspraxia affects the planning of what to do | | | | - Encourage each child to develop their own hobbies |
| and how to do it. It is associated with problems of | | | | and interests so that comparisons are irrelevant - my |
| perception, language and thought. | | | | son gave up Taekwondo when his sister got better |
| Dyspraxia is thought to affect up to ten per cent of | | | | than him. Now he plays junior ice hockey and his |
| the population and up to two per cent severely. | | | | sister is not allowed to join in, that's HIS activity. |
| Males are four times more likely to be affected than | | | | - Talk to your partner about the problems and be |
| females. Dyspraxia sometimes runs in families. There | | | | open about how you both feel -often one partner |
| may be an overlap with related conditions. | | | | can be disinterested or in denial, its important to |
| Other names for dyspraxia include Developmental | | | | work together |
| Co-ordination Disorder (DCD), Perceptuo-Motor | | | | - Try to arrange time each week to concentrate on |
| Dysfunction, and Motor Learning Difficulties. It used | | | | each child, and your partner |
| to be known as Minimal Brain Damage and Clumsy | | | | - Take time for yourself and keep in touch with |
| Child Syndrome. | | | | friends |
| Statistically, it is likely that there is one child in every | | | | - Join a local support group. |