Dyspraxia?

[natsjl]

Hi guys,

My gorgeous little 5 year old nephew has been for some tests at the hospital today, my sister already knows he has dyspraxia but they have done some tests today and he scored 5. A good score is 70 and the average score is 50. My sister and her husband are upset as they don't know much about it, she also had a failed IVF cycle last month and she is a little down already. The lady they saw said she will visit his school and adapt things accordingly, giving extra help.

Do any of you geeks have Dyspraxia or know anyone that has? Any advice or reassurance would be greatly received. I am hoping this won't affect him as much as he gets older and I can't say i've noticed apart from the way he runs and the clumsiness. I think she is just a little worried from the score being so low and certain thing she's read online! Xxx

 

[KayaPapaya]

I don't have any experience of it myself, and hope your family get the help they need.

Here's the NHS link to dyspraxia with a load of links to self-help forums etc, on the right hand side of the page:

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dyspraxia-(childhood)/pages/introduction.aspx

good luck

 

[natsjl]

Thanks for your reply! Hopefully once they understand things more things will settle down. I've been reading for the last hour or so online but just wondered if anyone had any personal experiences with it. It can be quite alarming on the net when it starts talking about truanting in the teenage years etc! Xxx

 

[Miss_A]

I know that 'Brain Gym' exercises are often used to improve coordination. Some exercises encourage crossing the midline (ie right hand touching left knee) which can be more difficult for children with dyspraxia. A google search should find some of these exercises. If not I'm sure I've got the manual at work (am a teacher by day) so PM me if you want more info.

S

 

[natsjl]

Thank you for that, I shall look it up tomorrow after work. It does say on some websites 1 child in a class of 30 will most likely have Dyspraxia. Do you come across it much in your school? Xx

 

[Jocie]

My husband grew was one of the lucky ones and grew out of it but still suffers from extreme ADHD. Its been rough but everything is working out. With the right drs he over came a lot and is now a biolgist and has a science degree. It took so much work and sopport but he has even been able to start going off his medication finally.
Just hang im there love and support is the number 1 thing

 

[PixieBeauty]

I've worked in schools with teenagers with special educational needs & the only thing I've learned about dyspraxia is it affects everyone differently!

I know that doesn't seem much help but I would urge you to support your sister to just wait & find out from further assessments exactly what dyspraxia means for this little one. What it can mean for one is probably quite different to another.

Wish you all the best xx

 

[BlossominBeauty]

Hi, sorry to hear your sister is so worried. My daughter was diagnosed with dyspraxia when she was 5 years old. I always knew something was wrong, and the diagnosis was both a relief and a shock.
One thing I have found over the years is that if she really wanted to master a skill, such as horse riding or nice hand writing, then she did! But if she didn't want to do something, such as ride a bike, then it wasn't going to happen!
I'm proud to say that yesterday, she received a place at Huddersfield University to study psychology! Life hasn't been easy, but she is the funniest person I know, my best friend, and very determined. She has always been able to laugh at herself, thank goodness!
Good luck for your nephew, and don't worry too much. Life has a way of panning out, and with lots of love and support and a good sense of humour, you'll all be fine! xx

 

[natsjl]

Thanks everyone! I guess it will be a learning curve until we understand it more! I think we were all quite laid back about it as nothing is really that noticabe at the moment but with the score being so low it has worried us all! Great to hear the positive stories, I suppose the attitude will be if you want it you do your best to do it and don't let it take over if possible.

My brother in law is very into his football and was looking forward to Ben starting with the mini soccer but I guess that won't happen now as i've read that competitive sports aren't really suitable. They will no doubt support and encourage him in everything he wants to do as he gets older, we are a very close, supportive family so we all will.

Thanks again xxx

 

[Miss_A]

Thank you for that, I shall look it up tomorrow after work. It does say on some websites 1 child in a class of 30 will most likely have Dyspraxia. Do you come across it much in your school? Xx

Not in every class but there are children who have some of the symptoms in most classes. The most important thing is that your nephew has a supportive family who accept the diagnosis & just want the best for him. Xx

 

[PinkSwoon]

I have 2 friends with dyspraxia & they live an absolutely normal life. Its's definitely worth thinking about things which will help him. Things I can think of are dance mat, hopscotch, horse riding for balance etc etc things along those lines. At least there has been a diagnosis so the best they can do is just understand the condition & how to deal with it I wish you/them all the best

 

[Waxpert]

Hello my son has speech dyspraxia & is awaiting diagnosis for general dyspraxia.
He is 6 in Feb. He is such a gorgeous boy & even though he struggles he does try really hard!
Like the other post said, if he wants to do something he will perservere & do it but if he doesnt he wont even try!
He can ride a bike & scooter so well & has just taught himself to use the swings! Which is a major achievement as he is very fearful of heights & if his feet are off the ground!
Its been a long scary road but he is so worth it.
All the best. Xx

 

[natsjl]

I've found your posts very reassuring so thanks guys, I am going to buy him a dancemat and show my sister all these posts and hope that it makes her feel better! He is such a lovely, gentle natured child and i'm sure with the right help and support we will all make sure he beats this in some ways. Xxxx

 

[Auntchilli]

I trained as a pe teacher and I did my dissertation on dyspraxia, find it very interesting. The dyspraxia foundation have loads of information. I've got loads of stuff on it. Can you tell me a bit more about him and I can have a delve into the garage for some info for you? Is it just dyspraxia ? It usually coincides with other things too. At least he's been diagnosed early, he will get lots of help.

 

[natsjl]

I trained as a pe teacher and I did my dissertation on dyspraxia, find it very interesting. The dyspraxia foundation have loads of information. I've got loads of stuff on it. Can you tell me a bit more about him and I can have a delve into the garage for some info for you? Is it just dyspraxia ? It usually coincides with other things too. At least he's been diagnosed early, he will get lots of help.

Hiya!

At the moment we just have the 'Dyspraxia' diagnosis, he's a very gentle, soft natured child. He is unstable on his feet when running, he has hyper-mobility of the joints and his teachers picked up on the fact that he couldn't climb the steps well on the slide etc, that was how it came to light. I think the test involved balancing and drawing wavy lines etc and his score was very low. He's well behaved, sensitive and eager to please. Does that help? Xxx