Dyspraxia
Dyspraxia, also known as developmental coordination disorder, is a neurological condition that primarily affects motor skills and coordination. It is typically diagnosed in childhood and can persist into adulthood, impacting various cognitive functions such as memory and judgment. The disorder is characterized by clumsiness and difficulties with tasks that require coordination, such as walking or tying shoelaces. There are three main types of dyspraxia: motor, verbal, and oral, each with distinct symptoms affecting movement, speech, and mouth coordination, respectively. While there is currently no cure for dyspraxia, therapeutic interventions—including occupational, speech, and physical therapy—can significantly aid individuals in developing coping strategies and skills.
Early diagnosis is crucial, as children identified with dyspraxia often face fewer challenges in adulthood compared to those who remain undiagnosed. The exact cause of dyspraxia is unknown, but it is believed to stem from the improper development of nerve cells regulating muscle function. Additionally, dyspraxia can co-occur with other conditions, such as ADHD and dyslexia. Education strategies, like Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), can provide tailored support for students with dyspraxia to help them succeed in academic settings. Awareness and understanding of this disorder are essential for fostering supportive environments and improving outcomes for those affected.
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Dyspraxia
Dyspraxia, also called developmental coordination disorder, is a neurological disorder characterized by clumsiness and problems with memory, judgment, processing, and other cognitive functions. Dyspraxia is usually diagnosed in childhood and continues into adulthood. No cure yet exists for dyspraxia, but occupational, speech, and physical therapy can help children cope and improve.
The sooner children are diagnosed with the disorder, the more likely they are to undergo therapy and learn the coping skills they will need as adults. When dyspraxia remains undiagnosed in children with the disorder, they may suffer serious consequences later; adults with undiagnosed dyspraxia are more likely to have poor interpersonal skills, be unemployed, and have substance-abuse problems. Millions of Americans have dyspraxia, yet little is known about the disorder including its cause. Boys are four times more likely to have dyspraxia than girls.
Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliff has dyspraxia. In interviews for various publications, Radcliff said that as a child, he had trouble with handwriting and tying his shoes. He was not successful in school, which he said was part of the reason he turned to acting.
Background
The word "dyspraxia" is derived from the Greek word duspraxia. The Latin root praxis means "to function, act, or pass through" and dys means "impaired, ill, or abnormal." Therefore, dyspraxia literally means "an abnormal act."
In 1937, Dr. Samuel Orton, a pioneer in the study of learning disabilities, included dyspraxia among the six most common developmental disorders, although dyspraxia often remains undiagnosed. Since then, other experts have labeled and described dyspraxia in different ways.
In 1965, Jean Ayres became the first physician to classify dyspraxia as a disorder of sensory integration that interferes with the ability to plan and execute tasks that are not habits. Dr. Sasson Gubbay, a neurologist and an author, named the condition "clumsy child syndrome" in 1975. However, since then, healthcare professionals have disregarded this label and consider dyspraxia to be an overall neurological impairment with many symptoms other than clumsiness.
Overview
There are three types of dyspraxia—motor, verbal, and oral—and each has its own symptoms. Of the three, motor dyspraxia is the most common and refers to the underdevelopment of gross motor skills. Children with motor dyspraxia have trouble with coordination. They may find it challenging to walk up and down steps, kick balls, and hop. Children with this type of dyspraxia are very inconsistent with their motor skills; they may be able to complete a task one day but not the next. Other common symptoms of motor dyspraxia are clumsiness, poor balance, poor hand-eye coordination, and difficulty in organizing thoughts.
Children with verbal dyspraxia struggle with speech. They find it difficult to produce clear, fluent speech or say certain words or sentences. They may speak very slowly and frequently pause during speech. Speech therapy is a common treatment for verbal dyspraxia.
Those with oral dyspraxia have problems with mouth and tongue movements. They may find it difficult to swallow and eat.
To diagnose dyspraxia, children usually take tests assessing their gross and fine motor skills. Gross motor skills involve the operation of large muscles used to jump, throw, walk, run, and maintain balance. Fine motor skills involve small muscles used to perform tasks such as tying shoelaces, buttoning buttons, and cutting out shapes with scissors.
To be diagnosed with dyspraxia, a child has to have symptoms for at least six months. A child's motor coordination must be greatly reduced even though the child's intelligence is normal for his or her age. The child's motor coordination problems must interfere with the child's daily life, and the motor difficulties cannot be caused by any other medical condition.
Occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, and physical therapists can help children with dyspraxia. An occupational therapist will test a child's ability to perform everyday functions. The therapist can then help the child develop skills that can help with daily activities. A speech and language pathologist will assess a child's speech and then create a treatment plan to help the child communicate more clearly. Either a physical therapist or an occupational therapist can help a child learn to improve movement along with hearing and listening skills.
While the cause of dyspraxia is unknown, many experts believe that the disorder occurs because the nerve cells that oversee a person's muscles do not develop properly. Motor neurons cannot establish proper connections, so the brain takes significantly longer to process information. Children are born with dyspraxia. Adults can develop dyspraxia after suffering another medical condition, such as a stroke.
School is challenging for children with dyspraxia. Dyspraxic children can benefit from an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that outlines specific strategies that may help them in the classroom. With an IEP, a student with dyspraxia may be allowed to have additional time to take tests and a peer tutor. It is important to remember that each dyspraxic student is different, so a specialized plan is always needed.
Conditions related to dyspraxia include Asperger's syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), sensory perception disorder, and dyslexia. Sometimes these conditions can occur alongside dyspraxia.
Bibliography
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