Dyspraxia is a disability that affects the coordination and motor skills of a person. It is a type of developmental coordination disorder (DCD) which affects humans from infancy throughout adulthood. Treatment includes therapies that help these children overcome the challenges faced in everyday life. However, there is no cure for this condition.
As per statistics, almost 2% of the population has dyspraxia. Although, the numbers may be less, but dealing with this condition can be very difficult for those involved. This disorder makes it difficult for the person to perform even the simple day-to-day movements, such as, tying shoe laces, brushing teeth, combing hair, and the like. It even impairs the eye and hand movements.
Dyspraxia can be noticeable since infancy. The infant may not perform normal movements such as crawling down or rolling over the floor. Another point to be noted is that this condition is usually prevalent in males. Many children may also develop speech disorders, walking difficulties, have trouble holding things in their hands, and so on. The impairments are related to movements and coordination of the muscles.
Treatment
Children with dyspraxia need a lot of love and support from those around. There are various therapies that can be availed through healthcare professionals, such as, psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and speech pathologists. These can help cope with the everyday challenges and encourage children to perform day-to-day activities with comparative ease.
Verbal Treatment
This disorder affects the speech and language skills because speaking involves muscle coordination. Verbal treatment includes proper assessment of the speech in order to identify the areas of difficulties. Once these are diagnosed, the speech and language therapist helps the child overcome the diagnosed problems. This involves various exercises of the lip and/or tongue movement and constant practice of the same, which helps the child produce certain sounds. This therapy also helps in controlling the breathing pattern. All this contributes in the overall improvement of muscle impairment in terms of speech and language.
Occupational Therapy
It consists of catering to the problems that the child deals with everyday. He is monitored closely by the occupational therapist all throughout the day―be it in school, playground, or even at home. The occupational therapist will take a note of the activities which the child cannot perform properly. These may include writing, dressing up, bathing, and the like. Once the therapist has identified the problematic areas, he/she will help the child break up the activity into smaller parts, and help the child practice each and every step.
Perceptual Motor Training
Perceptual motor training can also prove to be very beneficial when it comes to coping with dyspraxia. This includes training of many areas of impairment, including the language and movement skills, and the skills related to visual and auditory development. Many exercises are involved in each of the aforementioned areas so that the child can overcome his impairment through constant practicing and implementation.
A child with dyspraxia needs nothing but love and care. The aforementioned strategies help the child improve and overcome his disabilities with age. Your support and encouragement can boost their self-confidence and encourage them to live life without any emotional barriers.
Disclaimer: This HealthHearty article is meant for informational purposes only and should not be considered as a replacement for expert medical advice.
