Do I have Dyspraxia?

Getting assessed for your dyspraxia, getting help, disability allowance etc.

Moderator: Moderator Team

Post Reply
coleymoley
New member - welcome them!
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2007 11:04 am

Do I have Dyspraxia?

Post by coleymoley »

Hi, I've just joined this site after finding out my 15-year-old cousin has Dyspraxia. She is not particularly clumsy but has messy writing, finds it hard to read/write and can't pronounce some words properly.
I read a bit about it and realised I have some of the symptoms:

- I am clumsy - but this might be related to my height and large feet.
- I hold my pencil incorrectly
- I have messy writing - but have never had trouble forming letters.
- I have trouble catching and throwing, et cetera
- I have poor posture - but I have an unusual neck (according to my physiotherapist)
- I have unsteady hands
- I sometimes speak in a sort of tangle or stutter a little. I often talk too loudly.
- I daydream a lot and when distracted (often) completely forget what I was saying.

I am a good drawer, fast reader and have never had problems with left and right.

Do I have Dyspraxia?
Lithium_joe
Power poster
Posts: 462
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:45 pm
Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK

Post by Lithium_joe »

First of all let me say hello and welcome to these boards. I'm (relatively) new here too and you'll soon find yourself descended upon by other friendly sorts. :ghug:

I'm not qualified or experienced enough to say whether you do or don't have dyspraxia, but I'll share something with you that I have learnt here and it's this: Most everyone here feels they have dyspraxia or has been diagnosed with the condition - and in all cases we as a group experience the symptoms and effects differently and to differing degrees.

So much so, that what dyspraxia means in the life of one person may not apply to another and always admits of degrees.

To me that list you give might seem to indicate something amiss (although as an occupational therapist told me recently: everyone has messy handwriting from time to time - it's only an issue if it becomes a problem.) For instance the hand-eye coordination and poor posture are classic signs and the trouble with speaking might also indicate a particular kind of verbal dyspraxia.

but dyspraxia is not a box into which we all (somehow) fit but a phrase that is in effect a catch-all for a range of problems and needs that most people here would nod and recognise - say yes I do that too - so perhaps these things might indicate dyspraxia in your life , but then again it might not.

I'm not sure if that's helpful to you or not, but certainty is a rare thing. If you feel you have this problem - the best thing to do is maybe discuss it with parents and your school/college/university.

Lj :-k
Daniel
Administrator
Posts: 868
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2006 10:16 pm
Location: London

Post by Daniel »

Hi CM,

Beyond the introduction LJ has already given you, I would just say that no-one here is a qualified medical professional who can give you a definite diagnosis. What we can do is help you really get to grips with your situation and where to look for official diagnosis if that's what you're looking for. At this stage I'd recommend you browse the forum and see to what extent you find yourself saying "that's me" when you read about the experiences of others. That's really as a good a guide as any, as dyspraxia can vary considerably from one individual to the next. You don't need to find you share *everything*, as none of us share all the dyspraxic traits of everyone else, however if you find a strong similarity in the main with your own experiences, then dyspraxia might well be what you've got.

Feel free to join in the forum and ask any other questions you have.

Dan,
Forum Admin.
Shadwell
Moderator
Posts: 932
Joined: Sat Jan 06, 2007 10:24 am
Location: Bridgend, South Wales

Post by Shadwell »

welcome to the forum, and hope you feel at home here!

and yes, we are all friendly here, so feel free to start posting away to anything you feel you want to discuss with us. even if there is an old thread most of us/all of us will read and reply.

if there isn't a thread please feel free to create one, and a fair number are on here daily, so you won't have to wait too long for a reply.
Lithium_joe
Power poster
Posts: 462
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:45 pm
Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK

Post by Lithium_joe »

Hiya CM, I'm being re-assessed for dyspraxia next week, and today I received in the post a developmental questionnaire about incidents in my childhood and growing up that may assist in the diagnosis.

I was going to type up the areas it identifies and post it in this section of the website- and maybe Daniel will sticky it for me - so anyone visiting the site in future and asking what you've asked ' Am I dyspraxic?' can have some idea of *some* what occupational therapists look for in assessing for the condition.

;)
Daniel
Administrator
Posts: 868
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2006 10:16 pm
Location: London

Post by Daniel »

I have my forum sellotape (TM) at the ready, LJ, and I'll add the post to my list of useful threads which I'll be putting online soon.
Lithium_joe
Power poster
Posts: 462
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:45 pm
Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK

Post by Lithium_joe »

Groovy. :cool:
Lithium_joe
Power poster
Posts: 462
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:45 pm
Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK

As requested....

Post by Lithium_joe »

Daniel
Administrator
Posts: 868
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2006 10:16 pm
Location: London

Post by Daniel »

duly made sticky
Lithium_joe
Power poster
Posts: 462
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:45 pm
Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK

Post by Lithium_joe »

mug bibble MG NY! fuggle bmmp BIMP hfl ymn bmm mmn......BMN GR!!! <----- muffled cries, Mustapha-like* of:

Help! Help! Can somebody help me? I am trapped under several layers of ...celo tape, which are really rather...ouch! - sticky ...everytime I move...I tear....ow!...MY LIP! A thousand apologies - if you could maybe telephone for an ambulance or - MY EYE!... or find a pair of scissors hidden about the place...no...no wait I'm going to try and get out again......*RIP* - MY LEFT EAR!!! Some bandages - quicky!

;)


*Austin Powers. I don't usualy go in for Will Ferrell, but the image of being mummified in cellotape was too amusing to resist.


:-#
hunch
New member - welcome them!
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2010 8:00 pm

Re: Do I have Dyspraxia?

Post by hunch »

Hi all, I'm very new here and probably asking one of the most common question on the forum!

I'm trying to work out if I have some form of dyspraxia. I've always felt that certain things I do are not "normal" but have just previously put that down to my personality trates. However my 5 year old daughter has just been diagnosed as extreamely dispraxic along with some other Speach and language issues. As a typical parent I started looking at everything I could about the subject to help understand the problem and was very surprised to see some of the things I think of a weaknesses in myself showing up as possible sympton.

Is it possible to have one set of symtoms but be totally fine with other?

In my case when growing up I was a very competent sports person, playing every sport I could and representing my county both in Rugby and Athletics - So I would say that my general coordination (Gross Motor Skills?) was if anything above average. However, when it comes to Spelling (I'm lousy) , messy hand writing (looks worse than my 7 year olds - I always put this down to being a left hander). Organisation - I can be rubish at running a to-do list). My work space is always messy and I find it difficult to talk in cohearnt sentences. My memory can be pretty bad as well, but more a recall thing. If I'm prompted I can then pull back some of the details. When talking, very often I juggle my words up, and I can be uncomfortable talking to people I don't know. I've been sucesful in the work place and have managed to hide/work around some of these factor,

These all seem to be typical dyspraxic tendencies so I guess at this stage I'm interested in if it's very clear cut that the Gross Motor skills are effect in all cases which would mean there is no chance I have in any form dyspraxia
Shadwell
Moderator
Posts: 932
Joined: Sat Jan 06, 2007 10:24 am
Location: Bridgend, South Wales

Re: Do I have Dyspraxia?

Post by Shadwell »

hi hunch,

yes it is true that most Dyspraxic's can very from case to case, and a few members on here have got kids that are dyspraxic. then they start to ponder about themselves.

as far as most of us are aware, there isn't any true definition of dyspraxic, and the only way to be sure is a diagnosis. but extremely hard to come by without paying for it, or like a lot of other members in full time education.

but like a few members including myself know having a diagnosis has only helped us come to terms with it, as there isn't a magic wand strong enough to withstand our outrage!!

the best thing to do would just look up about it. and try to remember if you had these kinds of problems as a kid. like speach, balance ie. walking, riding a bike, etc, reading, and writing, memory, just to name a few things, then as an adult things like learning to drive. social skills. etc.

these are the main areas most of us assiociate with the condition on a day to day basis.
Post Reply