Dyspraxia

Dyspraxia is a neurological disorder that affects fine and gross motor skills and other cognitive abilities. The most common form of dyspraxia is developmental coordination disorder.

Symptoms of dyspraxia usually appear early in life and may change as a child ages and is challenged with the need to learn new life skills.

Symptoms in Young Children

• Babies with dyspraxia are overly irritable and have problems with feeding.
• Toddlers may continue to have problems with normal feeding and display other developmental delays, such as difficulty with toilet training, refusing to play with puzzles or toys that require construction, and inability to throw and catch a ball.
• Children with dyspraxia may frequently drop things and have trouble with activities that involve hand-eye coordination. For instance, they often have trouble managing buttons, zippers, and snaps.

Symptoms in Older Children*

• Difficulty with walking up and down stairs
• Difficulty with balance—they may bump into objects, fall frequently or seem clumsy
• Difficulty with sports and activities, such as riding a bike; jumping and catching, throwing or kicking a ball. They may avoid participating in activities because of their lack of coordination
• Difficult with writing, drawing/coloring and using scissors compared to other children their age
• Difficulty getting dressed, fastening buttons, brushing their teeth and tying shoelaces
• Restlessness—they may swing or move their arms and legs frequently

*Work Cited: Cleveland Clinic-Dyspraxia
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23963-dyspraxia-developmental-coordination-disorder-dcd

Dyspraxia is recognized in early childhood, continues into adulthood, and though it can be a singular condition, it often coexists with other disorders, such as ADHD, dyslexia, and autism.

Since dyspraxia coexists with other disorders, such as ADHD, dyslexia, and autism; Training Gifted Minds can help.

If your child shows symptoms of dyspraxia, Training Gifted Minds offers a Davis^®Attention Mastery program, and Davis^® Dyslexia Program.

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