dyspraxia

dyspraxia is a condition that runs through many generations of my family

I have it quite mildly, but it is a condition that can affect a person in absolutely everything they do. Alot of people have heard of dyselxia, but hardly any people, at least the ones I have spoken to, have heard of dyspraxia. 

Dyspraxia is:a form of developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a common disorder affecting fine and/or gross motor coordination in children and adults. It may also affect speech. 

Symptoms of dyspraxia in early childhood (3-7 years) can be:

• inability to stay still
• high levels of excitability
• easily distressed and prone to tantrums
• bumping into objects and falling over
• poor fine motor skills eg holding a pen
• isolating oneself from their friends
• persistent language difficulties 
• sensitive to sensory stimulation eg wearing new clothes and loud noises  
• difficulty dressing
• tendency to become over emotional
• problems with co-ordinating a knife and fork
• difficulty in forming friendships

Symptoms of dyspraxia in adults and teens can be:

• poor balance
• fatigue
• unclear speech and jumbled word
• perception problems
• poor hand-eye co-ordination
• finds it hard to follow instructions
• low self-esteem
• easily frustrated
• sensitivity to to all 5 senses
• overly emotional

Having dyspraxia can be difficult. I remember in year 8, my food tech teacher kept me behind for the whole of breaktime to show me how to "properly" hold a knife. it was after I came home really upset from this my parents decided to get me tested. 

PE lessons were also challenging. Every teenage girl has self confidence issues when they get to about 13/14 , however being physically unable to catch a tennis ball and having girls in your class laugh at you can really affect your self-esteem.

Now, I could go into every symptom and tell you my story HOWEVER I want this to be encouraging!

Another thing that many people with dyspraxia struggle with, is learning to drive. I have been learning to drive since my 17th birthday, so a year and two months now. Its taken me a long long time...

But today I passed my test!

I was so happy I couldn't stop crying, weird I know.

I want you to know that no matter what condition you may have, no matter what struggles you may have never give up.

I do believe that hard work and dedication can work wonders. Good things come to those who work for it and are resilient.

However, in saying that I do understand how difficult some things may be for certain people.

If that is you, don't beat yourself up, remember all the things you can do!

be resilient and be dedicated 

lots of love anna-rubyxx