This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
Health Dyspraxia


Welcome to the World of Dyspraxia


Dyspraxia, once called clumsy child syndrome aff ects up to 10% of the population, but have you heard of dyslexia’s poor relation asks Violet Naylor-Leyland


M


ost of us have heard of dyslexia – the disability causing diffi culties in reading, speech and spelling and aff ecting 5 to 10% of us. Dyspraxia, on the other hand (not a misspelling of dyslexia) is another common learning diffi culty, which has just not had the press, despite research showing up to 10% of the population may suff er from it. Milton Abbey’s Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) Rowan Kirby believes “dyspraxia is the poorer brother of dyslexia,” something she hopes will change as more people begin to understand it… Dyspraxia is an impairment or immaturity of the organisation of movement – an immaturity in the way the brain processes information, causing messages not to be properly or fully transmitted. T e common denominator with the disability is a weakness of certain motor skills, for example, anything related to movement, whether it be through fi ne motor control – holding a pen, writing, brushing teeth and getting dressed; gross motor control – running around, kicking or catching a ball; or control of balance – sitting on a chair, or climbing the stairs. Various labels have included Clumsy Child


Syndrome, Minimal Brain Damage, Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD) and Motor Learning Disability. GP Dr Amanda Kirby who provides training for occupational psychologists on dyspraxia and has a son with the condition calls it, T e Hidden Handicap, as although someone with dyspraxia may look “normal”, they will have underlying problems that may aff ect their life. Mild dyspraxia can be diffi cult to spot, particularly if it’s the parents’ fi rst child and there are no other siblings for comparison. Only later, perhaps at school, do the diff erences become apparent. Other symptoms can include diffi culties with reading, concentration, coordination, short-term memory, organisation, social skills, speech and sensitivity to


54 FirstEleven Summer 2011


light, sound, taste and touch. T is may be a heightened sensitivity or a lack of it, or both. Not only are these characteristics hugely variable but often dyspraxia exists with other conditions such as dyslexia, ADHD, dyscalculia, speech and language impairment and autistic spectrum disorders such as Asperger’s syndrome, which can make a diagnosis confusing. Dr Kirby says: “Parents often go from place to place only to be left asking ‘what has my child got?’ One person said dyspraxia, another dyslexia and someone else ADHD.” It may be that the child is diagnosed with the most dominant symptom at that time but as diff erent symptoms emerge, so the diagnosis changes. Children with mild to moderate symptoms may not be diagnosed at all, but simply written off as clumsy, lazy or stupid by their teachers and peers. But dyspraxia has no relevance to IQ – whatsoever. Occupational therapist, Jane Horwood, explains. “T ese are neurological in- built developmental diffi culties and schools need to understand this. T ere are still people that don’t believe dyspraxia exists. T ey think it’s the child not trying, or intentionally winding up their teachers.” For a worried parent, a diagnosis can be an enormous relief as they realise it’s not their fault and their child is not acting up. A common problem with dyspraxia is poor concentration and the inability to focus for very long, especially when there are other distractions like background noise or copying from a board while concentrating on holding and using a pen, balancing on a chair and taking in what the teacher’s saying. Phew! For most of us, multitasking like this isn’t too demanding but for a dyspraxic child it is very diffi cult, exhausting, stressful and physically uncomfortable. Sarah Ailsby, nanny to a dyspraxic child and a learning support teacher says, “you want as little distraction around them as possible. Avoid sitting them near a window and if you


www.fi rstelevenmagazine.co.uk


PHOTOS: ISTOCKPHOTO


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84