Well, they’re still the same child. But now you need to know what is expected and how you can help.
If your child has been diagnosed with dyspraxia, you might still be trying to figure out what it is, what you should do about it, and what it means for your child’s future. This article will guide you through the most important steps for you to take after receiving a dyspraxia diagnosis. The article will also be useful if you don’t yet have an official diagnosis, but suspect that your child might be dyspraxic.
Our advice here is based on our decades of experience tutoring students with dyspraxia and other neurodiversities such as ASD (Autism/Aspergers), dyslexia and ADD/ADHD.
In this article, we will cover:
- What is dyspraxia?
- What advice and support should you seek for your child?
- What does a dyspraxia diagnosis mean for your child’s future?
What is Dyspraxia?
In lay terms, dyspraxia is often referred to as “clumsy child syndrome.”
Here’s a more technical definition:
Developmental dyspraxia is a disorder characterized by an impairment in the ability to plan and carry out sensory and motor tasks. Generally, individuals with the disorder appear “out of sync” with their environment. Although individuals with the disorder may be of average or above average intelligence, they may behave immaturely. Symptoms vary and may include:
- Poor balance and coordination
- Clumsiness
- Vision problems
- Perception difficulties
- Emotional and behavioral problems
- Difficulty with reading, writing, and speaking
- Poor social skills
- Poor posture
- Poor short-term memory
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke *1
In medical professions, dyspraxia is also sometimes referred to as “Developmental Coordination Disorder” or DCD.
National Library of Medicine *2
If your child has recently been diagnosed with dyspraxia, or if you suspect that your child is dyspraxic,
lots of questions may come up for you:
- Is this a medical problem, a neurological problem or a psychological problem?
- Can it be ‘fixed’?
- What support will my child need for improving motor skills?
- What specialist tutoring will they need to help them succeed in school?
- Who’s the best person to provide that kind of tutoring?
- What is my role as a parent in supporting my child?
- How do I coordinate between traditional classroom teachers, specialist tutors and medical practitioners?
…and more.
The list can be overwhelming. Take it step-by-step and you’ll get through it.
What advice and support should you seek for your child?
So, what should you do first?
Fundamentally, there are two questions to answer:
- Medical: Does my child have underlying neurological or physical disorders?
- Developmental Support: What developmental and learning support does my child need?
The rest will start to fall into place once you’ve answered those two questions.
Medical
It’s important to know what’s going on medically and neurologically. There may be underlying medical issues that need to be addressed. If there are, it’s important to know what those issues are and how they should be treated.
The medical questions should be addressed by paediatricians and paediatric neurologists. They may refer you to other specialists for additional testing and evaluation.
Even if you’re going to work with a truly competent dyspraxia tutor, don’t skip this step.
A good dyspraxia tutor will know how to incorporate the medical information into how they approach working with your child.
Developmental Support
There are two types of developmental support to consider for your child:
- Neuro-developmental activities that will help them improve their motor skills and body awareness
- Study skills tutoring to help them learn how to learn, so that they can thrive, even in traditional teaching environments.
As we said earlier, any medical information that’s available will help inform the work of a good dyspraxia tutor, but it’s fine to choose your dyspraxia tutor and start working with them even before all the medical tests have been completed.
They’ll get valuable information right away from starting to work with your child, and then any additional information that comes from the medical disciplines will help refine their work as it becomes available.
While you have many questions there’s probably an overriding concern that you have on your mind…
What Does a Dyspraxia Diagnosis Mean for My Child’s Future?
- Will they get better?
- Will it always be a problem?
- Will they always be behind in school or can they learn to succeed and thrive?
The short answer is, to a degree, “It depends.” There are a lot of things you can do to help your child have a happy, successful life.
It is widely believed that Albert Einstein was dyspraxic. He didn’t learn to tie his shoelaces until he was 15. And – you know – he’s considered one of the scientific geniuses of the 20th century.
There are many famous dyspraxic people, ranging from scientists to entertainers and politicians.
Your child may never be an olympic gold medalist, but a world-class chef or leader in their field – yes.
But to truly thrive as a dyspraxic, getting the right support can be a game changer.
Unfortunately, traditional approaches to tutoring dyspraxics can work against their natural talents and make life harder for them. So it’s important to find a dyspraxia tutor who really understands your child and can help them not just survive, but thrive – in school and in life.
References:
(1) https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/developmental-dyspraxia
(2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK603724/
If you would like to talk with one of our experts to discuss what would be the best approach to tutoring your dyspaxic child, book a free consultation today.
