What is Dyspraxia? Dyspraxia Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Dyspraxia is a condition that affects around 6 to 10 percent of the population. Let’s take a closer look at what it is and how it impacts the lives of so many kids and adults all over the world.

What is Dyspraxia?

Dyspraxia is a neurological disorder that affects movement and coordination. It can cause problems with tasks such as writing, typing, walking and even speaking. Dyspraxia can also affect a person’s ability to understand spatial relationships and to plan and organize their thoughts and activities.

Dyspraxia is a developmental disability that affects the brain’s ability to control muscles. This can lead to difficulties with ideation or planning, as well as doing. Dyspraxia is a lifelong condition which often goes unnoticed during childhood years. Symptoms include difficulty with coordination, speech and language problems, and other functions.

It’s four times more common in boys than girls and the prevalence rate is greater than the percentage which are officially diagnosed with it. Daniel Radcliffe (actor who played Harry Potter) publicly stated that he has dyspraxia.

What are the Symptoms of Dyspraxia?

The symptoms of dyspraxia can vary greatly from person to person. Some common symptoms include:

– Difficulty with fine motor skills

– Poor balance and coordination

– Poor handwriting

– Difficulty with tasks that require sequencing

– difficulty with tasks that require focus and attention

There are many symptoms of dyspraxia, which can vary depending on the age of the person affected. In general, people with dyspraxia have problems with coordination and balance. They may also have difficulty with activities that involve hand-eye coordination or fine motor skills, such as tying shoe laces or brushing teeth.

Children with dyspraxia often bump into objects frequently, struggle to hop, skip or jump, not being able to hold objects while falling/dropping them and difficulty tying shoe laces or brushing teeth. Symptoms in preteenagers typically include difficulties in writing and playing board games. Symtpoms in teenagers include difficulties copying and reading skills and spatial perception issues.

Dyspraxia can lead to trouble following and remembering instructions, poor copying and reading skills, and spatial perception issues. Adults with dyspraxia may find it difficult to learn new skills at home, college or workplace.

What are the Causes of Dyspraxia?

There are many causes of dyspraxia, but the most common are: problems with the nervous system, problems with movement and co-ordination, and problems with understanding and processing information. Dyspraxia can also be caused by problems with hearing, vision, or speech, and by emotional or behavioural problems.

There is still much unknown about dyspraxia, including its causes. However, current research suggests that the condition may be caused by problems during gestation or at birth, as well as certain medical conditions such as hydrocephalus, hypoxic-ischemic injury, cerebellar brain damage from a stroke or tumor, and cerebral palsy. Additionally, dyspraxia can be hereditary.

How is Dyspraxia Treated?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question as dyspraxia can be treated in a variety of ways, depending on the individual’s needs. Some common treatments include speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy.

Occupational therapy helps the person with dyspraxia to develop practical skills for everyday life, such as dressing themselves, using cutlery or writing. Speech therapy helps them to improve their communication skills, both verbally and non-verbally. Physiotherapy can help with coordination and movement problems.

Dyspraxia Awareness is Growing

Despite a lack of awareness in the past, more and more people are learning about this condition thanks to the exposure from the media through celebrities as well as increased awareness of neurodiversity in general. While it’s a condition that can affect the quality of life, with the right support there’s no reason anyone with dyspraxia can’t achieve great success in whatever venture they choose.

For more information on neurodiversity keep reading and see what else you can find!

Last Updated on April 10, 2022 by Neurodadversity