Dyspraxia: What you need to know
Dyspraxia is a common neurological difference that affects physical co-ordination.
It can cause someone to perform less well in daily tasks involving movement than is expected for their age. Some of these symptoms can be present from an early age, while others may only appear obvious as the person gets older.
Dyspraxia can affect people of all intellectual abilities and is not related to intelligence.
Someone with dyspraxia might have difficulty with:
- Playground activities or sports such as hopping, skipping, running or catching or kicking a ball
- Balance
- Walking up and down stairs
- Writing, drawing and using scissors
- Getting dressed, doing up buttons and tying shoelaces
- Keeping still
Dyspraxia can also cause problems with:
- Concentration
- Following instructions
- Organisation or time keeping
- Learning new skills
- Behaviour, which often stems from frustration
- Self-esteem
They may also bump into objects and drop things more easily than others.
If your child is clumsy, it doesn’t necessarily mean they have dyspraxia. But if you’re concerned, speak to your child’s GP or school nurse, who may refer them to a health professional for assessment.
Letting your child’s school know of your concerns can be helpful so that they can make any adjustments or provide additional support.
Although people with dyspraxia might need support and additional time to complete work, school and daily tasks, it does not affect their intelligence.
What causes dyspraxia?
Co-ordinated movements, such as drawing or playing sports, involve many different nerves and parts of the brain. Differences in how these parts of the brain communicate can lead to the difficulties with movement and co-ordination that are present in dyspraxia.
Although it is not clear what causes these differences, people are more likely to develop dyspraxia if:
- They were born prematurely (before the 37th week of pregnancy)
- They were born with a low birth weight
- They have a family history of dyspraxia
- Their mother was drinking alcohol or taking illegal drugs during their pregnancy
Those with dyspraxia may also have other conditions such as:
Treatment and support
There is no ‘cure’ for dyspraxia, but treatment and support can help people to manage their difficulties. These may include:
- Learning new ways to complete activities that they find difficult
- Adapting tasks to make them easier, such as using special grips on pens and pencils to make holding them easier
Support will be tailored to the person and might involve a number of different health professionals working together. Producing work at school or college may require additional support from parents and teachers.
Physical co-ordination may become less of a problem as the person gets older and develops coping strategies that work for them.
