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[Guest]

does anyone have any experinece of a year r child with dyspraxia? i have a child in my current class who is being observed as we think he is dyspraxic and was wondering if you had any pointers on what to look out for. i know it is a difficult diagnosis but thought i would try anyway!!! thanks

[Steve]

Hi lizzielou -

Don't know anything about dyspraxia myself, but I remembered this very interesting discussion a little while ago which may help. I'm sure others will be along soon to give more help, but thought you might get something from this:

 

click here for topic

[Susan]

I had a child in my class some time ago who was said to have dyspraxia. He was very immature in all his motor skills and coordination. He particularly found it difficult to move himself across a crowded carpet, to go up and down stairs etc. His paintings and pencil control were poor but with encouragement improved greatly. Dsypraxia children are often thought of as clumsy and there was as unrefined appearance to his motor skills, if that makes sense?

His mother had problems with things like cutting his finger nails and hair as he complained that those hurt.

[Guest]

I childmind a 14 year old with dispraxia - he would trip over a 'stone in an empty car park' and gets into a lot of fights at school for being clumsy cos the other children don't have patience with him - I find the advice here invaluable

 

http://www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/

 

Sarah x

[Marion]

We have a number of children who have been identified with dyspraxia and run a special programme within the unit.

[Guest]

Hi Marion

Happy New Year to you! Is the programme you are running the 20 week course of exercises? If so, how are you finding it?

[Marion]

Hi Judy and to you too!

 

We've been running it for 3 years now (its the course devised by Andrea Emerson?) some of the exercises are very easy and are more appropriate for the youngest children so we have adapted the sessions to suit the children's needs. The children enjoy the sessions and we have seen progress with all the children.

[Guest nikkie]

hi this is myfirst go at this so please bear with me.

my son is dyspraxic.

the list of symptoms seem to be endless but the ones that effect my son the most are lack of coordination when walking running even eating,he found mastering a knife and fork especially hard.

lack of organisational skills is a major one .my son is now 19 and despite a hard time at school with very little support)he managed to get a place at university however due to the lack of on campus accomodation he had to rent a house with friends and found it impossible to cope and has had to return home with no degree and five thousand pounds in debt.

incidentally he was also sensitive to certain food which apparently is common .

i am painting a very sad picture of him which is not the case he is funny , witty ,generous,and easily the most loving of my 4 children .

perhaps the best way to sum up is in his words

my head is like my bedroom ,very messy but i know where everything is and i find it eventually!!

[mundia]

Hi Nikkie, welcome to the fourm and make yourself at home

[Verona]

Hi Nikkie

Welcome to the forum.

 

Sue J

[Marion]

hi Nikkie and thanks for sharing

[Sue R]

And hello from me. I think your son's comment is great! My son used to go to a weekend music school with a boy who had dyspraxia. He was a lovely lad, friendly, easygoing and generous to a fault! He played drums and was so very enthusiaistic!

 

Sue

[Guest]

Nikki your son sounds a lot like mine.

 

He was placed on the SEN register in reception for unspecified reasons but then his teacher in year 1 & 2 (yes he kept the same teacher) refused to acknowledge that he had difficulties as he was academically bright enough. She just said all the time that he was lazy and refused to get an ed psych to assess him. I tried the doctor, the SENCO and the head teacher and they all said that it was down to the assessment of the class teacher whether he would need to be referred (whatever happened to listening to the concerns of parents? I wouldn't mind but I do know about child development!!!). When he got to year 3 his teacher immediately recognised that he had difficulties and insisted that we got help - she wanted to know how I coped! Anyway whinge over - just to make a point that it is important that it is diagnosed early (I feel that he missed a lot of early skills due to always having to finish his writing)

 

I also feel that the lack of organisational skills is the biggie. He is lucky now because at high school his form tutor has taken it all on board to make sure that he writes things in his planner so I can make sure he does what he needs to at home. He also struggled with pencil control (still does and probably always will do). Also very late at learning to ride a bike and use a knife and fork. In fact even now at 13 he can struggle with opening some packets which my four year old can manage. Pouring from a bottle - he still asks me if I will pour drinks - although I do say no because he knows how to use a cloth well enough lol and I figure he needs the practice.

 

The other biggie is that he doesn't read subtle messages in conversation. He does not pick up on tones of voice e.g teasing or sarcasm or when people are being cross. He takes things at word value and this has led to a lot of problems as he will continue doing something not realising that it is really winding people up.

 

However in spite of all these difficulties - and there are more minor ones - he does well enough at school. He has a lot of friends now (after years of not quite fitting in) and he is planning to go to college when he has finished school.

 

Sue

[Guest nikkie]

thanks for the welcome everyone

susie your sons story sounds so familiar to mine .

his teachers also said he was capable but lazy and no matter how mant times i tried to get

him extra help i came up against a brick wall

as his behavior was not disruptive he kept getting put to the back of the list for assessment ,in fact he wasnt offered any sort of extra help until his last 2 terms at school. he left school with very poor exam results but with the right support at college managed to get merit in media arts.

i was a very proud mum but still feel that i should have pushed harder for help earlier.

i feel very strongly that parents are the ones that know their children best and hopefully my experience has made me a better practitioner .

[Guest]

Hi Nikkie

Welcome to the forum. You'll soon be addicted!

 

Anita

[wellerkaren]

my son also has the smae symtons as said above my son is doing the dore program and this has helped him already (only been doing it for 3 months) school has noticed a big change in him sorry i still do not know how to put a link in the web site is www.Dore.co.uk