I once taught a group of unusual children. They were clever, but some days they would be able to complete complex tasks, and other days they seemed to be unable to remember how to complete the same tasks. Frustrated, I doubted my teaching ability. This group was eventually diagnosed with developmental dyspraxia. Through these children, I learned about a disorder that often goes unnoticed.

Children with developmental dyspraxia lack the ability to plan and carry out sensory or motor tasks. Symptoms include poor balance, clumsiness, short-term memory loss, and difficulty following instructions. The disorder also causes problems in a formal education setting. While research into the disorder is ongoing, many specialists believe it is caused by a lack of myelin, a chemical in the brain that allows brain cells to communicate.

Dyspraxia affects development, and can be comorbid with other disorders. A simple way to explain this disorder is to imagine the brain as a filing system. Knowledge and information are consistently being misfiled, and the brain is unable to access information consistently. Therefore, dyspraxics are able to complete an activity one day and then unable to reproduce the steps to solve the problem again the following day.

Children with developmental dyspraxia often have poor physical skills. They may be very accident prone, clumsy and slow to learn new physical skills. As children they find managing utensils difficult, leading to messy eating habits. Infants may take a long time to learn how to suckle, causing feeding difficulties.

Children with this disorder are uncomfortable with unfamiliar tasks, and easily distractible. They prefer step-by-step guided tasks rather than finding opportunities to play independently. They will avoid using toys requiring motor skills, such as Lego or Play Doh.

Children with this disorder are easily stressed by change. They respond best to a structured environment. As a teacher, I noticed changes in a child's home routine often showed up in their ability to learn at school. Dyspraxic children often have emotional outbursts when faced with a change in routine.

To effectively manage dyspraxia, early detection is key. A developmental delay in motor skills of over six months is a reason to have your child assessed for Dyspraxia. Children can be diagnosed as young as two or three, and treatment can begin.

Article by Rachel Goodchild

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