Dyspraxia is a motor planning problem.
Dyspraxia is also known as Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) and the two terms are used interchangably. It was first described as a disorder of sensory integration in 1972.
You will find many variations of the definition of dyspraxia on the internet. A concise definition which you can use with your child is that: “your body isn’t following all of the instructions from your brain.”
The clinical definition is much more complex (or precise – if you prefer). But as you and your child interact with the world and a public which has rarely heard the term “dyspraxia,” simple is better. You can save the details for another time.
One of the most important things to keep in mind is that the brains of children with dyspraxia work much, much harder to do the same task as their peers and this accounts for so much of their delay. (Brain Activation of Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder is Different Than Peers)
Officially, Dyspraxia (DCD) is classified in the fifth revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as a motor disorder, in the category of neurodevelopmental disorders. (source: wikipedia). Dyspraxia is recognized around the world.
Dyspraxia is a life long challenge, but it will usually get better with intervention. By adulthood, a person with dyspraxia may not exhibit any outward, easily detectable signs. Intentional habits, routines and practice can improve motor planning over time. Felling a little OCD? That’s OK, it can be a good thing!
Dyspraxia may affect short term memory when performing a task, and it can affect concentration, but dyspraxia has no effect at all on a child’s cognitive function. However as a child’s academic level progresses, problems resulting from dyspraxia can have a marked impact on academic success. And in turn, that can lead to other issues, especially social issues. (Your child should have an Individual Education Plan (I.E.P.) in school and if possible, a 504 plan as well so that they can take the time they need and receive the support they need on standardized testing.)
Wikipedia: Many dyspraxics have excellent long-term memories, despite poor short-term memory. Many dyspraxics benefit from working in a structured environment, as repeating the same routine minimises difficulty with time-management and allows them to commit procedures to long-term memory.
Moderate to extreme difficulty doing physical tasks is experienced by many dyspraxics, and fatigue is common because so much extra energy is expended while trying to execute physical movements correctly. Some (but not all) dyspraxics suffer from hypotonia, low muscle tone, which can detrimentally affect balance.
Dyspraxia can also be seen as a gift, but it may not be evident until adulthood. Adults with dyspraxia might be more likely to find solutions to problems that are not always evident to other people. A life long struggle with motor planning will either severely frustrate a person, or form intentional habits of thinking which lead to success. Early intervention is key!
Everyday life with Dyspraxia
Day to day life looks mostly normal to observers.
For parents however, you may start to see challenges early on. You may begin to see emotional and anxiety related issues as your child enters pre-school, pre-K, kindergarten or first grade.
Every family is unique and every child is unique and there is no one right way to handle the challenges dyspraxia presents.
As noted on the DyspraxiaGeorgia symptom list you will begin to see motor planning, gross motor and fine motor issues fairly soon after birth, or in the first year of life. Often, children with dyspraxia will not crawl. But these observations will not yet determine a positive case.
As your child begins to attempt to walk, you will see more motor and coordination issues. As your child begins to verbalize you may notice speech differences or a failure to speak at all. As your child approaches pre-school or pre-K or kindergarten, you will notice additional social issues and possibly heightened anxiety. Tantrums and frustration begin to increase.
Through age 3 or 4, it may be difficult to determine if your child has dyspraxia. In the U.S., because Dyspraxia is not well known, many pediatricians will assume that your child is just a bit slower than most, or not significantly enough impaired to warrant further investigation. Doctors may be impressed with your child’s receptive language and dismiss speech concerns. Hang in there. If your child has dyspraxia you will notice that these problems do not resolve even with additional therapy. Some days they will appear to improve. Other days there will appear to be no improvement.
Challenges your child will face during the day might include difficulty with utensils, problems with dressing (especially buttons and zippers), slow eating, drinking without spilling, clumsiness and difficulty in basic sports (catching age appropriate objects). Speech can usually be impacted, and can often be dramatically impaired.
Keep the focus of discussions with teachers on the social aspect of your child’s school day. Academics are of course important, but most dyspraxic children do not suffer cognitively, and long term memory is quite good! The challenge will come (to cite one example) when their peers can make simple, easily discernible drawings, but your child cannot. Or, when other children can skip, or stand on one foot for any length of time. Children will self segregate based on ability and similarity. You may notice your child having trouble integrating with other children.
Don’t blame the teachers for a failure to solve your child’s social or academic problems. While they obviously do have a very important role to play, a teacher cannot make a child play with another child and even if they did, it would not be successful long term. You will need your teacher’s help to report to you on what they see and what progress is being made. Your child’s teacher is your friend, not your therapist, not your doctor, and they cannot solve your problems. Engage your child’s teachers in a positive way, help them understand Dyspraxia.
It is the parents job to plan milestones months or years in advance and to develop tools and techniques for achieving age appropriate milestones. (Read our story on bicycling and dyspraxia). Riding a three wheel scooter or tricycle may take months of work, even a year, because your child is unable to plan the motor actions needed to accomplish the task and they may have spatial difficulties. Weaker muscles may make it hard to hold the handle bars of small scooters and bicycles straight and steady. Combined with all the motor actions needed to ride a tricycle or scooter or bicycle, it’s best to plan out the steps needed many months or years ahead of time in order to reach the goal. Don’t worry if you didn’t do this or are just beginning to understand the problem. That’s common. Simply start a plan now for the next milestones!
In time, your child WILL reach their goals. It will simply take longer, sometimes significantly so. Be prepared and be patient.
Activities that are successful and empowering will engage the ENTIRE body and include:
- Swimming
- Tandem bicycling (one wheel attachment to adult bike) (Dyspraxia and bicycling)
- Rock wall climbing (with harness of course)
- Hiking with an adult
- Running or kicking a ball in an open grassy space (no concrete or asphalt)
- Lego’s (if your child is interested) can be very rewarding
- Sidewalk chalk coloring (no lines to stay within, all imagination)
- Horseback riding
- Gymnastics if the child is wiling to and can work one on one with an instructor
- Dance if this interest your child and they can receive one on one instruction
Most important – ANY activity which your child enjoys, wether successful or not, should be encouraged in order to foster a sense of success. The feeling of genuine success is important and as your child experiences that feeling, they can draw on that feeling in the future in order to push through more challenging work.