Dyspraxia is a brain disorder that impacts fine and gross motor skills, motor planning and coordination. When a neurodivergent person with Dyspraxia attempts to move the message gets jumbled and their body is unable to complete the task correctly.
Symptoms
Babies with Dyspraxia usually have unusual body positions, irritability, feeding issues, sleeping problems and high level of movement in the arms and legs. As they get older they may not have rolled over or walked on time. They may have difficulty with potty training, self-feeding or self-dressing. They are often described as clumsy or messy children. Once they enter school their fine motor issues often impact their artwork, writing and ability to play with others.
Teens and adults with Dyspraxia may have an abnormal gait or posture. They typically have poor hand-eye coordination and fatigue easily. Writing or keyboarding may be difficult along with other fine motor tasks required for grooming or household chores.
Treatment
Most people with Dyspraxia benefit from Occupational Therapy (OT) and Physical Therapy (PT). An Occupational Therapy program helps with specific skills the person needs help with like using scissors, zipping a jacket or writing letters. Physical Therapy programs focus on building body strength and coordination.
Many people will struggle with Dyspraxia their entire lives so finding accommodations is an essential part of treatment. They may use special scissors that are easier to squeeze or speech-to-text instead of writing by hand.
Apraxia vs. Dyspraxia
Many families mix up the terms Apraxia and Dyspraxia. While there is some disagreement about these terms within the medical community, generally within the disability community Apraxia refers to speech and Dyspraxia refers to gross and fine motor planning. A neurodivergent person with Dyspraxia may struggle to kick a ball or zip a jacket. Some individuals experience both Apraxia and Dyspraxia, while others only have one or the other.