What should I expect from a 16 year old with dyspraxia? I am getting an exchange student today and I found out he has dyspraxia. I am sure that it is not completely severe, as I have spoken with him many times online and we get along very well. However, I want to make sure I am treating him well according to his difficulties. What are common obstacles of a teenager with dyspraxia? I understand every case is different, I just want him to be as comfortable as possible here in the United States.
_________________________
2nd chance checking account ~ checking account for people with bad credit ~ checking account for bad credit
16 year old with dyspraxia
Moderator: Moderator Team
16 year old with dyspraxia
Last edited by yanixia on Wed Apr 17, 2013 3:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: 16 year old with dyspraxia
Hi yanixia. As you have said, every teenager with dyspraxia is different, so it is difficult to know what to suggest without knowing the individual. The best advice I can give you is to be calm and patient with him and, if he does something 'dyspraxic' to be non-judgmental about it (which I'm sure you will be, as it's clear that you want to support him). I wasn't actually diagnosed with dyspraxia while still a teenager but, from what I can recall, I did some 'dyspraxic' things which caused problems with people on exchanges and visits to the homes of people who didn't know me very well. When I went on a French exchange, the host family were weird towards me because it could take me longer to respond or react to them than it might have taken a non-dyspraxic teenager- they just wouldn't have understood why that was, so may have mistakenly thought I wasn't very bright.
As a teenager I also stayed with someone I didn't know very well while I took part in a music festival, and caused disapproval by being messy around the house (for example, leaving things scattered on my bedroom floor). I am not saying that the boy who is coming to stay with you will necessarily be messy, but it is quite common in people who have dyspraxia- I would even say that it's a bit more likely that someone with dyspraxia would be a bit messy when they go somewhere new because they have so much to take in that things can get a bit overwhelming. Apart from being messy, he might do 'dyspraxic' things like spill a drink when he's pouring it, but the best thing you can do (which you probably would do anyway) is not to make a fuss and to make him think that it isn't a big deal so he doesn't feel embarrassed and stressed about it.
People with dyspraxia can be very prone to getting lost when they go somewhere new. I made some huge errors when I started university, sometimes ending up going for half an hour in the wrong direction! I don't know if the boy will be accompanied by a member of your family when he goes out places, but if he goes off on his own (which teenagers often like to do) it might be a good idea for someone to lend him a mobile phone during his visit, as I'm assuming his mobile from home won't work in the US. That way, if he finds himself totally lost he can phone someone to come and pick him up.
As a teenager I also stayed with someone I didn't know very well while I took part in a music festival, and caused disapproval by being messy around the house (for example, leaving things scattered on my bedroom floor). I am not saying that the boy who is coming to stay with you will necessarily be messy, but it is quite common in people who have dyspraxia- I would even say that it's a bit more likely that someone with dyspraxia would be a bit messy when they go somewhere new because they have so much to take in that things can get a bit overwhelming. Apart from being messy, he might do 'dyspraxic' things like spill a drink when he's pouring it, but the best thing you can do (which you probably would do anyway) is not to make a fuss and to make him think that it isn't a big deal so he doesn't feel embarrassed and stressed about it.
People with dyspraxia can be very prone to getting lost when they go somewhere new. I made some huge errors when I started university, sometimes ending up going for half an hour in the wrong direction! I don't know if the boy will be accompanied by a member of your family when he goes out places, but if he goes off on his own (which teenagers often like to do) it might be a good idea for someone to lend him a mobile phone during his visit, as I'm assuming his mobile from home won't work in the US. That way, if he finds himself totally lost he can phone someone to come and pick him up.