Dyspraxia doesn't have to stop people living life to the full
Conference will show parents and teachers how to cope -
An inspirational teenager from Suffolk will be a special guest speaker at the Dyspraxia Foundation�s AGM/Parents and Teachers Conference in London on 14 June, 2008.
Liam Plumridge - currently starring in the BBC�s �Beyond Boundaries: Across the Andes� series � was diagnosed with dyspraxia at the age of seven. Now 17, he will use the conference as a platform for conveying his personal experience of the condition that is believed to affect around one child in every class of 30.
The annual conference, which will take place at The London Voluntary Resource Centre, Holloway Road, London, will provide training and information for parents and teachers of children with a range of special educational needs.
Theresa Hart, trustee of the charity, says: �Liam is a wonderful example of how dyspraxia doesn�t have to stand in the way of a person�s hopes and dreams.�
Liam has recently returned from a trek across Ecuador with nine other physically disabled teenagers. The challenge took four weeks to complete and spanned 400km from the edge of the Amazon Basin to the Pacific Ocean.
It is one of many achievements by Liam, who is a lynchpin of his local football club and an active member of a theatre company - proving that dyspraxia does not have to stop those affected by it from living life to the full.
Sometimes unkindly referred to as �clumsy child syndrome�, developmental dyspraxia is an impairment of the organisation of movement which can lead to problems with co-ordination, balance, fine motor skills, language, thought and perception. It is a misunderstood condition, yet it has very real complications at school, in the workplace or in relationships, for the many people who live with it.
Other speakers at the conference will include:
Lois Addy, Senior Lecturer at York St John University: Lois will look at the difficulties in attention and concentration among children with DCD (development co-ordination disorder) and the positive impact of sensory strategies and equipment.
Gill Dixon, Independent Special Needs Advisor and mother of a dyspraxic child: Gill will look at the support required at home and at school for any child with a learning difficulty to help maintain their self-esteem and allow them to achieve along with their peers.
Theresa Hart, adds: �Our conference provides an opportunity for parents, carers, teachers, support staff and anyone with an interest in special needs to find out more about ideas and practical strategies to help at home and in the classroom.
�By taking positive steps and putting in place a number of coping techniques, the lives of sufferers and their families can be made so much easier. Increasing awareness of dyspraxia is a key aim of the charity � we need to ensure more people are aware of the help and support that is available.�
The conference will run from 10am � 3:45pm and is open to anyone with an interest in special needs. For more information, or to download a booking form, please visit www.dyspraxiafoundation.co.uk
ENDS
For more press information, please contact Tracey Thompson or Jo Hudson on 020 8786 3869 or email [email protected]