Dyspraxia in Adulthood

Developmental dyspraxia is an impairment or immaturity of the organisation of movement. It is associated with the problems of perception, language and thought. Other names for dyspraxia include Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD), Perceptuo- Motor Dysfunction, and Motor Learning Difficulties. It used to be known as clumsy child syndrome and Minimal Brain Damage.

The condition is thought to affect up to ten per cent of the population in varying degrees. Dyspraxia sometimes runs in families. There may be an overlap with ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder), Dyslexia and Asperger’s Syndrome.

People with dyspraxia usually have a combination of the problems described below.

Gross Motor Co-ordination Skills

· poor balance and rhythm e.g. bicycle riding or dancing

· poor posture and muscle tone; clumsy gait and movement

· poor hand–eye co-ordination, causing difficulties with bat and ball sports and car driving

Fine Motor Skills

Lack of manual dexterity, and poor manipulative skills, causing problems in many areas such as:

· Grooming and dressing

· Housework and cooking

· DIY and craftwork

· Handwriting and keyboarding

Speech, Language and Oral Skills

· Continuous and/or repetitive talking

· Difficulty organising content & sequence of language

· Problems with pitch, volume, rate and pronunciation

· Difficulty listening to people; can be tactless and interrupt frequently

· Tendency to take things literally; may listen but not understand

· Difficulty reading non-verbal signals, including tone & pitch of voice

Perception (i.e. Interpretation by the different senses

· Poor visual perception

· Lack of awareness of body position in space, causing tripping, bumping and spilling

· Poor sense of time, speed, distance or weight

· Poor sense of direction and left/right discrimination

· Poor eye-movement e.g. keeping place while reading or looking from TV to magazine

Learning, thought and Memory

· Unfocused and erratic; may become messy and cluttered

· Poor short-term memory; may lose or forget things

· Poor sequencing, causing problems with maths, spelling and copying sounds

· Difficulty following instructions, especially more than one at a time

Emotion and Behaviour

(These are not direct symptoms of dyspraxia, but a reaction to it)

· Impulsive and easily frustrated; difficulty working in teams

· Slow to adapt to new or unpredictable situations, often avoiding them

· Tendency to be stressed, depressed or anxious; may have difficulty sleeping

· Prone to low self-esteem, emotional outbursts, phobias, compulsions and addictive behaviour

Many of these characteristics are not unique to people with dyspraxia, and not even the most severe case will have all the above characteristics. But adults with dyspraxia will tend to have more than their fair share of co-ordination and perceptual difficulties.

Assessment and Diagnosis

The above list is not intended to replace a clinical diagnosis. If you suspect you have dyspraxia, seek assessment by an educational, occupational or clinical psychologist, occupational therapist or speech therapist. A diagnosis can help you come to terms with your problems and raise your self- esteem. Very occasionally it may be possible, through your GP to get funding for an assessment at an NHS approved private organisation, such as the Dyscovery Centre. An assessment report can be useful for a number of reasons. It may help you get more time in exams, tell you how you can improve your skills, help you get funding or help at college or work, help you explain to others about your dyspraxia and highlight your particular strengths. If dyspraxia is an issue at work, or when looking for a job, consult the Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) at your local Job Centre Plus. The DEA can tell you about support or assistance that is available. The DEA may also refer you to a Chartered Occupational Psychologist for assessment. College students may ask to be referred to a Chartered Educational Psychologist.

Treatment

There is no cure for dyspraxia but there are many strategies that can help. Occupational therapists will look at activities of daily living such as household tasks and organisational skills, They can help develop strategies to improve these and suggest suitable equipment to help with these tasks. Speech therapists can help with speech, language and social skills. Counselling can help overcome some of these problems. Drugs such as anti-depressants, can be of use, as well as fatty acid supplements such as eye q. N.B. Consult your GP before taking these supplements.

Some Coping Strategies

· Remember that many people with dyspraxia are very creative, determined, and intelligent

· Try assertiveness training and self- development classes or join a self-help or support group

· Break down large tasks into smaller components to make them more manageable

· Carry out some kind of relaxation exercise everyday, such as yoga or the Alexander Technique

· Try going to the fitness gym to improve your muscle strength and co-ordination

· Do any individual sport/activity that might improve you co-ordination and manual dexterity such as swimming or computer games

· Use diaries, calendars, post it notes to plan you day/week/month. Prioritise things you have to do first. Finish one task before you start another. Mindmaps and flow charts can be of use

· Use any implement in the home to help you carry out daily tasks, such as electric toothbrushes or shavers, kettle-tippers, special tin openers and word processors

· If you are learning a new sequence of actions, see that you get clear, precise instructions

· Organisations such as the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, Mind, Mencap, and local disability groups can help as well as your local Disability Services Team at your nearest large Job Centre.

For further information, please read

· Living with Dyspraxia. 4^th Edition. by Mary Colley. Published by Jessica Kingsley 2006.

· Developmental Dyspraxia. 2^nd Edition. By Madeleine Portwood. Published by David Fulton 1999.

· Dyspraxic Voices. Edited by Dr. Nicola Werenowska. Published by DANDA 2003.

· Coping With Dyspraxia. By Jill Eckersley. Published by Sheldon Press 2004.

· The Hidden Handicap. By Dr Amanda Kirby. Published by Sovereign Press 1999.

· Caged in Chaos. By Victoria Biggs. Published by Jessica Kingsley 2005.

· Developmental Co-Ordination Disorder in Adults. By Sharon Drew. Published by WHURR 2005.

Some of the above Publications are available from:

DANDA: Developmental Adult Neuro-Diversity Association,

46 Westbere Road, London, NW2 3RU

Tel: 020 7435 7891

Email: mary.colley@danda.org.uk

Website: www.danda.org.uk

(DANDA can refer you to your local adult contact if there is one)

Adult computer list: dyspraxia@yahoogroups.com

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