Dyspraxia is not an illness or disease from which recovery is possible. Rather, it is a neurologically based disorder which has been described as something one gets "around", not "over".  Dyspraxia  - from the Greek “dys” (difficulty) and” praxis” (acting or doing) is an impairment or an immaturity of the organisation of movement. This includes gross motor movement  (activities such as such as balancing and posture) and fine movement skills (writing, drawing and many household tasks such as using a can opener).   People with Dypsraxia generally do not establish hand dominance, and struggle with holding pens, pencils, and other utensils.  It is because of these things that writing and drawing can potentially cause them physical discomfort as well as resulting in poor handwriting. To improve your fine motor skills it is best to consult an occupational therapist. Someone with the condition of Dyspraxia has the problem of being "impaired" when it comes to completing a proper action; however, a Dyspraxic does not appear to be any different physically. Developmental Dyspraxia, in its most simplistic definition, can be explained as an impairment of the interpretation of movements due to underdeveloped neurons. This results in messages not fully coming across to the body. Thus, what you think in your mind and how you apply the idea does not coordinate, and the message that you are trying to convey is not always understood. Dyspraxia is a condition that you can be born with - Developmental Dyspraxia - or can manifest itself through Oral/Verbal Dyspraxia; but, Dyspraxia can also occur due to traumatic head injury.

Dyspraxia is also known as Developmental Co-ordination Disorder. A kinesiologist might refer to it as "neurodisorganisation." A person with dyspraxia may talk continuously without apparently listening to or making eye contact with the other person. Dyspraxics tend to show the symptoms of Attention Defecit Disorder Conversely they might talk slowly with a great deal of repetition. They may also have trouble with pronounciation. The visual difficulties associated with have problems with organisation, memory, sequencing, concentration, sitting still for long periods of time and time management. The flipside of having attention difficulties is an ability to hyper-focus on certain tasks and to show Dyspraxia may result in problems with reading and absorbing information in written form. Auditory problems also show themselves in inability to filter noise and to remember verbal instructions. In common with people with Dyslexia, Dyspraxic people tend to show great persistance in achieving personal goals. Dyspraxia can also manifest itself in heightened sensitivities to sound, light, temperature, touch or certain fabrics.  

NeuroDiversity is a broad spectrum – but it’s estimated that 2 per cent of the population is severely affected by symptoms of Dyspraxia. Perhaps lacking the profile of other NeuroDiverse conditions such as Dyspraxia is sometimes described as “the hidden disability”. Fortunately, its existence is becoming less hidden and the condition is officially recognised – the emphasis tends to be on helping children with dyspraxia and their families but groups such as DANDA  (Developmental Adult Neuro-Diversity Association)  and others, many of which we link to on this site, continue to raise awareness of Adult Dyspraxia. The Disability Discrimination Act defines a person as having “a physical or mental impairment which has severe long term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities.” The abilities mentioned include symptoms of Dyspraxia – which affect day-to-day activities – such as manual dexterity and impairments of mind, memory and ability to concentrate. Written confirmation has been given by the Prime Minister’s Office to the Dyspraxia Adult Support Group that if a person with Dyspraxia complies with the above definition of a disabled person, they are covered by the Act. The Government recognises Dyspraxia as a valid medical disorder, as defined by the World Health Organisation’s International Classification of Disease. Unfortunately though, many NeuroDiverse adult adults, are not aware of the condition, let alone that they have it. Awareness amongst medical professionals in relation to adults is also low. As a result of having to deal with conditions they might not even realise have a name NeuroDiverse adults tend to feel “different” but aren’t sure why. 

As motorcompetence is significantly related to social acceptance, Dyspraxic children & adolescents are often found in the margins of their peer groups, feel socially awkward & unable to muster the “patter” their friends engage in & tending to be the last chosen for the football or netball team. As children & throughout our subsequent lives, we can find we are the target of criticism & ridicule which may become more subtle as we get older but can reoccur when we try to participate in group activities. For child, adolescent & adult, the result of this avoidance of participation is unhappiness and feelings of being isolated and excluded from the Neuro-Typical world. As Max Davidson's excellent April 2008 article in The Telegraph, Clumsy But Clever puts it: "Many dyspraxics grow up anxious and lack social skills. If you cannot trust yourself to perform simple physical tasks, you are bound to diffident". 

Lack of practical skills would have made us unsuitable for National Service and even if we became famous we’d probably be inappropriate as contenders for I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here, Big Brother or any other task-based show. To continue the TV theme, we have many strengths and special abilities, but do not possess what our society sees as the Krypton Factor...

Positive Aspects Of Dyspraxia

A NeuroDiverse condition can often carry positive aspects: lateral thinking, the tendency to be fully absorbed and preoccupied with tasks that catch their interest. Many of life’s innovators have demonstrated their NeuroDiversity through lateral thinking and achieving by persistency and imagination what others might not even dream of attempting.

Perhaps paradoxically to the limitations we can experience in short term memory and following instructions, many of us have good auditory and verbal skills with above-average ability to learn languages, compose music and write creatively. This could be described as paradoxical or contradictory because as Dyspraxics we are often unable to recall a freshly-heard sequence of sounds Dyspraxics have problems with logisitical thinking and thus do not follow any organized pattern of speech. This means that "small chat" is irrelevant, there are pragmatic tendencies and interruptions are prevelant.  This aspect of Dyspraxia makes it difficult to understand what is happening around you. Again, however, through repeated actions a Dyspraxic can learn to enhance these skills. Some people with Dyspraxia have trouble putting words in the correct order and may pronounce words incorrectly and occasionally produce spoonerisms when we speak.

Also, for example, our lack of natural lack of time management  can be turned around and used constructively. By looking at these issues in-depth we have the chance to learn to become better time managers than those to whom such things come naturally but who don’t analyse their time management. By being aware of our need to organise we have the chance to utilise our time to our best advantage.

The Gift Of Dyspraxia

Opinions on whether Dyspraxia is a blight or a blessing are divided. This quote from Geoff Brookes in his book on Dyspraxia (Continuum, 2007) eloquently states (from the perspective of a parent) how the condition can shape the lives of those it touches:

"There are those who speak of the “gift” of dyspraxia. As the father of a dyspraxic son I am not sure I can agree with this. If it is a gift then it is that jumper with the orange diagonal stripes that you never wanted. I have had to watch my son wade through a deep river while others strive confidently across the bridge just a little way upstream. It seems so unfair".

Dyspraxia is a word that isn't recognised by spellcheckers on computers. We hope one day this won't be the case.  Word is getting round, & we aim to help people like us & those who know us, work with us & employ us.  Perhaps you're visiting here because you've just heard about the condition.  Perhaps you’re visiting this site because you’re wondering whether somebody you know might have Dyspraxia. It can be difficult to be diagnosed with Dyspraxia - we touch on this topic in the Our Stories section and are keen to hear from people in Scotland who have been or are looking to diagnosed.  We aim to provide as much useful information here as we can. Please realise you are not alone. We recognise that it comes as quite a relief for some people to be diagnosed while others may find that the label stigmatises them.   We are also aware that many adult Dyspraxics are not aware of the condition, let alone that they have it. It is regrettably the case that the level of awareness amongst the medical profession in relation to adults is low. This is particularly unfortunate since, as with many NeuroDiverse people, having to deal with their conditions can lead to some Dyspraxics experiencing mental health problems including anxiety, depression &, perhaps most commonly, chronically low self-esteem. A significant number end up with drug/alcohol abuse, which may also mask their condition. The less well-off a family is, the less their Dyspraxic child is likely to be diagnosed, and the more likely it is that as an adult they'll become involved in crime and substance abuse.  Dyspraxic inmates are liable to be bullied by other prisoners. We talk quite a bit on this website about how bullies can take advantage of the "different", vulnerable Dyspraxic child. As Victoria Biggs points out in her book Caged In Chaos (see Further Reading), sometimes bullies themselves are Dyspraxic: having no other outlet for their frustrations, their behaviour becomes destructive. Whether destructive to oneself or others (or destructive to both),  it's understandable how frustration can lead to intensely negative feelings about a world that seems to move at a different pace to yourself & doesn't seem to understand the way you are. We certainly don't condone or seek to excuse anti-social behaviour but motor competence, adabptability and an ability to mutitask is undoubtedly linked to  social acceptance which means that those of us who lack motor competence can find it hard to be accepted by our peers. We are marginalised because we're clumsy, unsure of ourselves, "different". We become figures of ridicule & tend to withdraw, perhaps occasionally lashing out at others or turning on ourselves, impatient and frustrated with our inability to accomplish tasks other people perform without a second thought.

The Hidden Disability

At school Dyspraxics - generally male rather than female by a ratio of three to one  - tend to stand out as un-co-ordinated and awkward as they enter their teens. In earlier years it’s difficult to measure the  progress of possibly Dyspraxic children against normal maturity in children -  the cerebellum being naturally less developed in young adults. As in adulthood, Dyspraxia tends to be a hidden handicap. Children with Dyspraxia often appear to be no different from their peers, until new skills are tried or known ones taken out of context, when difficulties may become apparent. In many affected children, Dyspraxia occurs with or as part of other neurological conditions so that defining common symptoms may be confusing.  As the child grows older and  begins to attempt to participate in sports and sports activities, differences become apparent. It’s now seventy years since the term Congenital Maladroitness was coined to describe “clumsy child syndrome”.  Anecdotal evidence suggest that usually one sport a Dyspraxic child or adolescent tend to show aptitude for is table tennis. Likewise bowling, martial arts, Tai Chi and yoga, all of which can improve co-ordination. Being able to relate to your peers is a very important part of growing up, but many Dyspraxics become singled out from their peers because they lack the coordination, dexterity and perception to participate in sports and become be stuck on the sidelines. Out of school where co-ordination difficulties are not so obvious, one can find oneself more figuratively sidelined but it is SO hard to make people understand. Convincing people one lacks simple motor skills is always hard until problems arise opening or closing blinds, participating in a leisure activity roller skating, or for the ligyrophobic dyspraxic, becoming embarrassingly startled when a balloon pops. Aspects of the condition appear on a daily basis but because parents, friends, lovers, bosses and colleagues often don’t fully understand what it’s like to be Dyspraxic, you can face resentment from them. A situation that is often taken personally by those around the is lack of short term memory. As a young child they will forget papers, pens, and books. It will later manifest itself into social situations because a Dyspraxic will have to repeat everything in their mind in order to understand it. They might not be confident at carrying out instructions they have just been given, worried that they don’t have the co-ordination to perform the task or be unsure of the sequence of instructions they've been give or plainly forget a simple message. This is often taken to be a sign of laziness, ignorance or a lack of consideration. It is none of these. Neither is a lack of reciprocity in returning favours such as meals being cooked for them, lifts being given to them by friends and colleagues who drive or DIY, etc. Not being able to or not feeling confident about repaying kindnesses in kind can be very frustrating for Dyspraxics.