What is dyspraxia?
Here is an excellent video by Kristal-Bella Shaw that explains her perspective on dyspraxia. I have included it on this site because it covers a great many issues that dyspraxic children and adults can struggle with on a daily basis.
Dyspraxia is a brain-based condition that makes it hard to plan and coordinate physical movement. It can affect a child’s ability to do a wide range of everyday physical tasks from gross motor skills, such as walking and jumping, to fine motor skills such as the hand movements needed to write clearly and the mouth and tongue movements needed to pronounce words correctly or express their ideas. They may also have trouble adjusting the pitch and volume of their voice. As a result, making friends and being social can be much harder. Children who have speech difficulties may also have difficulty with reading and spelling.
Dyspraxia can affect social skills too. Children may behave immaturely even though they typically have average or above-average intelligence. They may easily become overwhelmed in group settings. This can create problems with making friends, and children can become anxious about socialising with others, especially as they get older. Their difficulties with sports may also affect their self-esteem and social abilities.
Although it isn’t as widely discussed as other conditions that impact learning, like dyslexia, dyspraxia is believed to be fairly common; approximately 6-10% of children show some signs. In the classroom environment for example, children often have difficulty writing quickly. This can create a number of challenges, such as trouble taking notes and finishing tests.
Children don’t outgrow dyspraxia. But with the help of Wealden Learning Support, they can learn to work around areas of weakness and build on their strengths.