Dyspraxia - Specific Motor Skill Development Disorder

Dyspraxia refers to a specific disorder in the area of motor skill development. It is estimated that up to 6% of all children demonstrate some dyspraxia symptoms to varying degrees. Of those 6%, approximately 70% are males. People with dyspraxia have trouble implementing planned fine motor tasks. In other words, their thoughts are not appropriately transferred to their bodies when motor skills are planned. The degrees of severity can vary widely among those with dyspraxia from difficulty with simple tasks like waving goodbye to more complex operations such as brushing teeth.

Parents may suspect their baby has dyspraxia when the baby avoids rolling over or crawling within the normal time frame for these milestones; and as the child grows older, they may experience difficulty with eye movements, walking, holding utensils for eating or a cup while drinking.

Babies with dyspraxia may move their whole head instead of moving their eyes to the left or right. Their speech may be delayed, and difficult to understand. Individuals with dyspraxia may be sensitive to touch, and are especially bothered by clothing tags or seams in socks or clothes. Dyspraxics may find brushing their hair and teeth brushing unpleasant as well as nail cutting.

While none of these symptoms taken alone are cause for alarm, when several of these characteristics are recognized over time, parents will be wise to have their child screened. Older children may take longer to establish laterality, have difficulty with handwriting, tying shoelaces, walking, hopping, catching a ball and riding a bike.

By the time children with dyspraxia reach school age, they may have problems with peer relationships and making friends. Because of their delayed motor skills, children with dyspraxia seem immature and awkward and may be embarrassed by their lack of coordination and dexterity. For that reason, physical education classes can be especially stressful for children with dyspraxia.

These children probably also struggle with engaging in casual conversation, as those with dyspraxia have speech difficulties. Poor letter formation, pencil grip and slow writing can make school work frustrating beginning in the earliest school years. By high school these problems often escalate as peers show more ability, dexterity and advanced language skills.

The lives of adults with dyspraxia can be adversely impacted by their poor sense of direction and poor coordination. Driving a car is challenging for those with dyspraxia due to their poor sense of direction and impaired motor skills. Performing basic household chores like cooking and cleaning is challenging for those with dyspraxia as well.

Other challenges experienced by those with dyspraxia include sensitivity to light, touch, space, taste and smell, as well as personal grooming and speech control and articulation. Dyspraxia is a lifelong disorder. Some compensation can be mastered, but the disorder doesn't go away, nor can it be outgrown.

People with dyspraxia may have other difficulties such as low self-esteem, mental health problems, depression, emotional and behavioral problems. The fact that those with dyspraxia have a weakness in comprehension and information processing can also contribute to problems experienced by those with the disorder.

While not always, dyspraxia can co-exist with other learning disabilities such as dyslexia (reading problems) or dyscalculia (math comprehension difficulties) and AD/HD. The fact that the symptoms of these disorders are so similar to dyspraxia, is the reason individuals need to be evaluated by experienced professionals to determine-or rule out-a combination of learning disorders.

There is no cure for dyspraxia. With early intervention, though, children can learn to deal with their difficulties. Depending upon the severity of the dyspraxia, children may benefit from occupational, speech and physical therapists to improve their ability to function independently.