The Dyspraxia Foundation says there may be a range of co-occurring difficulties with dyspraxia which can include articulation and speech, perception and thought. There can also be difficulties with reading, spelling and writing.
It can affect your co-ordination skills – such as tasks requiring balance, playing sports or learning to drive a car. Dyspraxia can also affect your fine motor skills, such as writing or using small objects.
This means it can cause difficulties with organising study, prioritising tasks and formulating academic arguments, such as essays and reports. As dyspraxia is an umbrella term, not everyone will experience the same difficulties. It can also occur with other Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs), such as dyslexia.
So in reality, dyspraxia does not directly change intelligence. It does, however, affect learning ability. So in this way, dyspraxia does create a "learning disability." The condition can lead to a full spectrum of problems with language, perception and thought.
Dyspraxia is a common disorder that affects your fine and/or gross motor coordination that may also affect their speech. Dyspraxia may affect your reading, writing, coordination, balance and self-care. It is a lifelong condition and occurs across the full range of intellectual abilities.
Fundamentally, autism is a disorder that affects socialization and communication, while dyspraxia affects motor skills and physical coordination. While coinciding symptoms aren't uncommon, the two are considered distinct disorders.
Research suggests that: Around 50% of people with dyspraxia/DCD also have ADHD. Around 10% of people with dyspraxia/DCD show signs of autism while around 80% of children with autism have movement difficulties consistent with a diagnosis of dyspraxia/DCD.
Signs of Dyspraxia in Younger Children
Little understanding of concepts like 'in', 'on', or 'in front of'. Difficulties in walking up and down stairs. Poor pencil grip. An inability to do jigsaws and shape sorting games.
Tend to get stressed, depressed and anxious easily. May have difficulty sleeping. Prone to low self-esteem, emotional outbursts, phobias, fears, obsessions, compulsions and addictive behaviour.
Dyspraxia as a hidden disability
Dyspraxia is considered to be a hidden disability as the physical signs can be difficult to recognise. Dyspraxia is also less well known and often misunderstood, many people with dyspraxia do not realise they have the condition until later in life.
Many people with dyspraxia/DCD have difficulty organising themselves, their equipment and their thoughts. Some also experience problems with attention, memory and time management.
Because dyspraxia is a developmental coordination condition, children with dyspraxia can struggle with maths. Due to the nature of dyspraxia, it can cause dyspraxic students to become easily distracted or overwhelmed when in a learning environment, and encounter difficulties following/remembering instructions.
Currently there is no known cure for dyspraxia, and children do not 'grow out of' the condition. While they do not get worse over time, their challenges may become more apparent with increasing academic demands. They have to work harder and/or differently than their peers to achieve the same goals.
They are often creative and original thinkers as well as strategic problem solvers. However, some people with dyspraxia find it hard to achieve their true potential and may need extra support at work.
Many Australian children struggle with dyspraxia, a condition that disrupts the messages that travel from a child's brain to the muscles of their body. Dyspraxia (also called apraxia) is a neurologically based developmental disability that is typically present from birth.
Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) or Dyspraxia is commonly associated with difficulties with movement, when in fact there are many strengths associated with this neurotype. Big picture thinking, problem solving, tenacity, creativity and empathy are all qualities associated with DCD.
Adults with dyspraxia sometimes display social and emotional difficulties, as well as problems with time management, planning and personal organisation. This may affect the person's education or employment. Dyspraxia may make learning a new skill more difficult.
Poor, slow and effortful handwriting. Poor paper cutting skills. Difficulty in catching and throwing a ball. Poor at running, jumping, climbing and team sports.
Teenagers with dyspraxia are significantly more likely to experience social and emotional difficulties compared to their peers. Similarly, adults with dyspraxia often experience social isolation and find it more difficult to succeed in the workplace.
Children with suspected DCD are usually assessed using a method called the Movement ABC, which involves tests of: gross motor skills – their ability to use large muscles that co-ordinate significant body movements, such as moving around, jumping and balancing.
Causes of DCD
It's not usually clear why co-ordination doesn't develop as well as other abilities in children with DCD. However, a number of risk factors that can increase a child's likelihood of developing DCD have been identified. These include: being born prematurely, before the 37th week of pregnancy.
The work of Dr. Jean Ayres and subsequent researchers suggests that Developmental Dyspraxia most commonly has a sensory-based underlying cause. It is a sensory processing disorder involving those sensory systems that provide us basic information about our bodies.
Myth #4: Kids with dyspraxia tend to have low intelligence.
Fact: There's no connection between dyspraxia and IQ . Having dyspraxia doesn't mean a child isn't intelligent. However, the way kids with dyspraxia behave might make them appear less capable than they are.