Dyspraxia is a motor learning difficulty, affecting language skills, intellect, emotions, and even physical development. Learn more about this condition, as well as its causes, symptoms and treatment.
This condition takes form when there’s an impairment with the brain, causing bodily functions to go awry. This can prove to be quite detrimental to a child, since learning abilities are impaired, including movement and coordination. One cannot form his/her own ideas, and messages are distorted when received. Therefore, putting one thought and its consequent action together, is not possible for a child. Sometimes, when a child is able to perform a task today, he/she may not be able to repeat it the next day, since memory and comprehension of what was, is lost.
Causes
The causes of this condition are not really known, except that brain damage is a more plausible reason. Since it affects one’s speech and language capabilities, it is considered a speech disorder. The other possible reasons are:
- Association with development problems, where some children’s reading and understanding abilities are affected.
- Stuttering
- Could be hereditary in nature.
Symptoms
Here we look into what signs tell us that a child is suffering from this, ranging from different age groups who reveal different symptoms of the same.
>3 Years Old:
- Not able to sit unassisted.
- Feeding problems as a baby.
- Doesn’t crawl on its own before learning how to walk.
3-5 Years Old:
- While running the hands flap loosely.
- The child doesn’t take part in imaginative activities.
- Bumps into things, and falling over.
- Not able to sit still and remain inactive.
- Not able to solve construction games.
- Not able to bond with other kids his/her own age.
- Tantrums are frequent.
- Not able to comprehend a dangerous act like falling from a height.
- Messy with food and drinks.
- Vocal outbursts are frequent.
- Not able to understand given instructions.
- Not able to decide between using his/her left or right hand.
- Doesn’t easily adjust to change.
- Not able to concentrate on one thing.
- Language problems.
- Not able to use craft instruments for drawings and art work.
7 Years Old:
- Handwriting cannot be deciphered.
- Not able to complete class work on time.
- Not good at copying a visual image on paper.
- Finding it difficult to adjust to a school routine.
- Not good at forming friendships with other kids.
- Emotionally strung.
- Excessive clapping and hand flapping.
- Falls sick often and complains about headaches.
- Not able to eat with a fork and knife.
- Language problems.
- Not able to tie his/her own shoe laces.
- Not able to sleep peacefully at night.
- Not able to perform in Physical Education class.
8 Years Old:
- Handwriting is not understandable.
- Finds it hard to adjust to a school’s system.
- Poor attendance in school.
Treatment
The treatment for this problem will not completely cure a child from this condition, but there are ways to help maximize their abilities with solutions that may help.
Speech Training
A speech pathologist will help these kids word-out sounds more clearly and precisely, so that these can later give way to a more normal way of speaking.
Sign Language
This can help a child convey what he/she means by wording-out sentences using their hands to sign a need or a want. This can help you communicate with kids better, using sign language.
Occupational Therapist
A therapist can help a child learn how to use a given set of tools in drawing class or a playroom. These can be fine-tuned using the help of these therapists.
It is important to spot the signs when kids are little, so as to provide them the help they need to be able to take one day as it comes, improving slowly along the way.
