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What is Dyspraxia?
Dyspraxia is an immaturity or impairment of the brain. No cause has been proven yet, a possible explanation being - messages that are sent from the brain to the body telling the body what to do don't get to the right place at the right time. It is a very real disability, which affects organisation and sequence of movement, but the individual with dyspraxia does not 'look' disabled. It varies in its severity in each individual, affecting boys more than girls. Alongside difficulties with movement there can be associated problems with perception, sensory issues, language, thought, emotion and intellect as well as social implications.
What difficulties can dyspraxia cause the primary school child?
Many parents will have had concerns about their child's development before he/she enters education.
Constantly tripping or falling over
May not be able to hop, jump, skip, throw/catch or kick a ball
Avoiding activities that are found to require too much dexterity- e.g. holding a crayon for colouring, building toys from Lego etc.
Finding it hard to participate in or be independent in dressing themselves - fastenings are too 'fiddly' and they seem not to be able to tell whether their clothes are on inside out or back to front
Wanting to avoid certain sensations - e.g. having hair washed or cut, nails cut, wearing certain clothes or fabrics, certain food textures and temperatures and not wanting to join in 'messy' play. May become unhappy or 'on-edge' in noisy environments
May over-react to changes in routine and have 'temper tantrums' over what seem to be minor issues
Pushing into others or bumping into things excessively
Late to talk, problems pronouncing certain letter sounds and compiling more complex sentences
What difficulties could Dyspraxia present when starting school?
When first entering school it may be noted that the child has more problems than others in:
Adapting to school routine and rules
Remembering the layout of the school
Remembering the names of teachers / interacting with their peers
Coping with the noise and 'bustle' of the classroom
Coping on their own at lunchtime
As a teacher, the following may be observed of the child and will require intervention:
Immature social skills, often resulting in the child seeming to be a loner and often isolated at break times
PE and music/movement sessions are of difficulty to the child, who appears poorly co-ordinated and 'awkward'. They may have eventually managed to understand and carry out the previous movement when everyone is moving onto the next.
Having to dress after PE they will take longer than others and appear 'messy' - shirt untucked, jumper on inside out (if put back on at all) and laces undone - possibly looking to an adult for help
They find it hard to listen and concentrate, especially finding it difficult to follow 2 or 3 stage instructions. Their class work is slow and rarely completed
They have great difficulty with handwriting and maths
They can easily become distressed and over-emotional and when excited they may engage in stereotypical movements such as flapping their hands or twiddling paper
How could the child be assisted in the classroom
A child with dyspraxia must have assistance/be given strategies to help them face the difficulties they have in the classroom.
Place in classroom - sitting face on to teacher and board
Child needs constant support and encouragement to stay on task. Give praise for effort as well as end result.
Make their tasks smaller so that work can be completed.
Give ready prepared work sheets to reduce amount of handwriting required
Give verbal instructions one at a time
Get child to repeat back the instructions given to ensure they have understood
Working in small groups can be less daunting for child.
They may need 'time-out' after each activity.
If child seems to lash out at others in frustration be aware that the child may be subject to bullying, or they may not be able to concentrate and need 'space'
If child having difficulties manipulating tools, specialist tools are available e.g. scissors/pen grips
Liaise with relevant medical professionals for specific assistance/ideas for use in PE, self-care, classroom activities and organisation
As a parent you can help prepare your child for school by providing the following:
Clearly labelled clothes with large, strong loops for hanging on pegs
Customise clothes for ease of dressing, e.g. velcro on shoes and shirts
A packed lunch can be easier than school meals.
Spend time with the child when first going to school helping them locate the nearest toilet to the class and prompt the teacher to give subtle assistance if required
Vivienne Chamberlain
June 2002
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