Dyspraxia at a Glance
7 Mar 2023
by
Noetic
4
minute read
Last Updated
Sep 7, 2023
Dyspraxia is a condition that affects an individual’s coordination and movement. Most of the time when someone is discussing dyspraxia they are referring to Developmental Coordination Disorder(DCD), but dyspraxia also includes other movement difficulties that may occur later in life due to brain injury. If someone has had dyspraxia as a child, their clinician will likely refer to it as DCD.
Types
People experience dyspraxia differently. Sometimes, you might hear people talk about different "types" of dyspraxia. For example, someone who has difficulty with speech or communication might say they have verbal dyspraxia, while someone who struggles with spatial reasoning might say they have constructional dyspraxia.
Although all of these types are dyspraxia, people might identify with one that reflects the symptoms they experience the most. Dividing them in this way can make identifying the support someone could benefit from easier.
Causes
There is no known cause of dyspraxia, although it has been linked to prenatal factors, such as premature births. Dyspraxia often runs in families and men are 4x more likely to experience symptoms than women.
There is a lot of support available for people with dyspraxia and strategies that help with any potential struggles that people may experience. Dyspraxia also has high co-occurrence rates with other diagnoses, so it is not unusual for someone with dyspraxia to also have dyslexia or ADHD as well. Check out our other articles to learn about the support available and other neurodivergences.
💪 Strengths
🎨 Creativity: People with dyspraxia often are able to think creatively and come up with unique solutions to problems. 🕵🏽♀️ Problem-solving: Many people with dyspraxia have strong problem solving skills and adaptability evident in how they respond to any struggles they encounter as a result of their dyspraxia. 🤹🏼♂️ Multitasking: People with dyspraxia may have the ability to multitask and manage multiple projects at once. 🗣️ Verbal skills: Many people with dyspraxia have strong verbal skills and may excel in oral communication. 🤗 Empathy: Often, having experienced difficulties with things like coordination, people with dyspraxia can be particularly empathetic to others around them
🏔️Struggles
◼ Movement: People with dyspraxia might have difficulty with learning new motor skills, controlling movements or spatial awareness. ◼ Fine motor skills: Things like writing, typing, or using small objects can be more difficult for people with dyspraxia. ◼ Social interactions: People with dyspraxia might experience anxieties around social interactions or have difficulty expressing thoughts and emotions. ◼ Memory: Memory can be impacted by dyspraxia, regardless of intelligence. ◼ Organisation and time management: This is sometimes challenging for people with dyspraxia but can be helped with things like diaries and scheduling tools.