Dyspraxia is a disorder of movement and coordination that is very often identified in early childhood. Dyspraxia can also come on later in later life especially after an illness or an injury. It can affect verbal, oral and motor skills.
What is dyspraxia?
Dyspraxia is a disorder in which messages sent from the brain to the muscles are interrupted, leading to problems with movement and coordination.
Types of dyspraxia
There are a few different types of dyspraxia:
Causes of dyspraxia
As usual Dyspraxia is not a disease, but a way of describing symptoms and there is no single cause. It seems to be tied in with the way a child develops. It can also occur after damage to the brain due to illness, a stroke or an accident, or it may also develop in young children when there is no brain injury or no obvious cause.
What are the symptoms of dyspraxia?
Quite often young children with dyspraxia usually have motor learning difficulties. Some children with dyspraxia also have other physical or behavioural problems so it might not be a stand-alone series of symptoms but included in multiple other symptoms.
Motor dyspraxia involves trouble with co-ordinating physical movements, for example, walking up or down stairs, kicking balls, or hopping. Children with motor dyspraxia may be able to perform a task at one time, then unable at a later time. They often appear ‘clumsy’.
Children with verbal dyspraxia have problems with voluntarily coordinating their muscle to produce speech sounds and words. They have difficulties in producing clear, fluent speech or saying certain words or sentences. Children with verbal dyspraxia might speak slowly with frequent pauses.
Children with oral dyspraxia may have trouble with eating and swallowing.
Diagnosis of dyspraxia
If you are concerned that your child has dyspraxia, see your doctor for advice and referral to other specialists.
Treatment of dyspraxia
There is no cure for dyspraxia, but it can be treated and managed with a combination of regular, intensive therapies including:
Dyspraxia Foundation UK
Dyspraxia advice and support