Dyspraxia in children
Although dyspraxia may be diagnosed at any stage of life, increasing numbers of
children are identified as having the condition.
Early recognition of dyspraxia will enable early intervention and practical steps
to help your child to achieve their potential. Children whose dyspraxia is identified
at an early stage are less likely to have problems with acceptance by their peers and
with lowered self-esteem.
When children become teenagers their problems may change as social and organisational
difficulties become more pressing.
The Dyspraxia Foundation can help and support you and your child through its services
and publications.
Symptoms
By
3 years old
Symptoms
are evident from an early age. Babies are usually irritable from birth and may
exhibit significant feeding problems.
They
are slow to achieve expected developmental milestones. For example, by the age
of eight months they still may not sit independently.
Many
children with dyspraxia fail to go through the crawling stages, preferring to
�bottom shuffle� and then walk. They usually avoid tasks which require good
manual dexterity.
By
3 to 5 years old
Children
with dyspraxia may demonstrate some of these types of behaviour:
�
Very high
levels of motor activity, including feet swinging and tapping when seated,
hand-clapping or twisting. Unable to stay still
�
High
levels of excitability, with a loud/shrill voice
�
May be
easily distressed and prone to temper tantrums
�
May
constantly bump into objects and fall over
�
Hands
flap when running
�
Difficulty
with pedalling a tricycle or similar toy
�
Lack of
any sense of danger (jumping from heights etc)
�
Continued
messy eating. May prefer to eat with their fingers, frequently spill drinks
�
Avoidance
of constructional toys, such as jigsaws or building blocks
�
Poor fine
motor skills. Difficulty in holding a pencil or using scissors. Drawings may
appear immature
�
Lack of
imaginative play. May show little interest in �dressing up� or in playing
appropriately in a home corner or wendy house
�
Limited
creative play
�
Isolation
within the peer group. Rejected by peers, children may prefer adult company
�
Laterality
(left- or right-handedness) still not established
�
Persistent
language difficulties
�
Sensitive
to sensory stimulation, including high levels of noise, tactile defensiveness,
wearing new clothes
�
Limited
response to verbal instruction. May be slow to respond and have problems with
comprehension
�
Limited
concentration. Tasks are often left unfinished.
Pre-school children
If dyspraxia is not identified, problems can persist
and affect the child�s life at school. Increasing frustration and lowering of
self-esteem can result.
By 7 years old
Problems may include:
�
Difficulties
in adapting to a structured school routine
�
Difficulties
in Physical Education lessons
�
Slow at
dressing. Unable to tie shoe laces
�
Barely
legible handwriting
�
Immature
drawing and copying skills
�
Limited
concentration and poor listening skills
�
Literal
use of language
�
Inability
to remember more than two or three instructions at once
�
Slow
completion of class work
�
Continued
high levels of motor activity
�
Hand
flapping or clapping when excited
�
Tendency
to become easily distressed and emotional
�
Problems
with co-ordinating a knife and fork
�
Inability
to form relationships with other children
�
Sleeping
difficulties, including wakefulness at night and nightmares
�
Reporting
of physical symptoms, such as migraine, headaches, feeling sick
Primary
education
By
8 to 9 years old
Children
with dyspraxia may have become disaffected with the education system. Handwriting
is often a particular
difficulty. By the time they reach secondary education their attendance
record is often poor.
Reading
and spelling
Coping
at school
In
teenagers
Behavioural
problems
Books
that answer your questions
Children
with Developmental Dyspraxia
Related
conditions
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