Secondary Schools and dyspraxia

Dyspraxia may not be identified until the child reaches secondary school. They may have experienced only minor difficulties in their previous schools and managed to cope.

Problems may start at secondary school especially in view of the organisational skills that are required at this level. If dyspraxia is not identified there can be a high incidence of low self esteem and disaffection and behavioural problems become evident.

What to look for in school:

• Difficulties with physical activities such as P.E. The child may have difficulty with eye/hand and eye/foot coordination (for example, poor ball skills), in running or in using equipment
• Poor posture and poor body awareness. Awkward movements
• Confusion over laterality. May interchange left and right hand for different tasks
• Poor short term visual and verbal memory when copying from the board, taking dictation, or following instructions
• Writing difficulties, both with style and speed. Often children have an awkward pen grip and poor handwriting
• Difficulties with reading and spelling
• Poorly developed organisational skills. Difficulty with planning essays and revising for examinations
• Problems with activities which involve well-developed sequencing ability
• Unaware of potential danger. Particularly relevant to practical and science subjects
• Problems with awareness of time. Needs constant reminders about time and deadline
• Often has poor exercise tolerance. Tires easily and may require long periods of rest and sleep
• Some children may exhibit phobias, obsessive or immature behaviour
• Sensitive to external stimulation e.g. different levels of light, sound and heat intensity, tactile defensiveness
• Exhibits extremes of emotions. Can be highly excitable and have significant mood swings
• Often a loner. Limited development of social skills. May experience bullying

Provision for the secondary school child with dyspraxia

• Give the child as much encouragement as possible. Make sure they are not made to feel a failure
• Be aware of their difficulties. Give strategies to reduce the frustration they experience particularly when required to complete written work
• Break down activities and tasks into smaller components
• Teach the child strategies in order to help them to remember and to organise themselves (e.g. use of diaries and lists)
• Assist with short term verbal memory tasks. Do not give too many words in dictation. Ask the child to repeat instructions to you
• Help with short term visual memory. Do not expect the child to be able to copy large blocks of text. Use strategies to help with copying from the board: use different colours per line or give a ruler to copy text for each line. If demonstrating activities, break down the tasks into stages and give a few at a time
• Allow the child to finish a task before moving on. They will feel a failure if work is consistently left uncompleted
• For P.E./games, obtain advice from the medical professionals. Ensure that if the child is unable to join in a team game, they given activities that will build up their particular abilities. Whenever possible, offer the child alternatives to taking part in team games where they will be identified as letting their side down
• Ensure that the pupil is helped to find their way around the school if necessary. They may forget where they are supposed to be
• Allow access to word processors/lap tops/palm tops if they are available. A voice processor with at least 80 per cent accuracy can be invaluable
• It is important to work with the child's parents. They know that child better than anyone else
• Ensure that there is good liaison with medical professionals
• Be aware that during sudden growth spurts difficulties may manifest themselves to a greater extent
• Encourage the child to build up a friendly relationship with another child who can act as a guide/helper. This is especially important during the first few months in a new secondary school
• Ensure that all instructions are always clear and precise. Make sure you explain yourself fully even if this means stating the obvious. Children with dyspraxia do not always understand sarcasm or irony.