Greetings from Leeds

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SarahTheScout
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Joined: Tue May 15, 2018 7:24 pm

Greetings from Leeds

Post by SarahTheScout »

Hi. I'm Sarah, and this sounds really daft but I'm not sure whether I have a formal diagnosis of Dyspraxia or not. When I was at uni, I was assessed for Irlens syndrome (long story short, it was identified but I now disagree). Part of that process was a 5 hour long dyslexia and dyspraxia assessment, in which I was found to be at high risk of both. The assessor is a proper assessor (I have a list of her credentials, somewhere...), but I'm not sure whether the assessment was an official diagnosis one, or whether one that just identified the risk, and that I'd need to look elsewhere for a formal diagnosis. I contacted the Dyspraxia foundation once, but didn't really understand their reply, so didn't follow up on it. But I do believe that I have dyspraxia, and that is has a severe impact on my life. It's official in some ways, in that my mental health team accept it, but I've never managed to get a referral to a learning difficulties team, or get any specific support for dyspraxia (outside of uni - I had a lot of support at uni), despite all my attempts!

Anyway, sorry for the rambling. Greetings. I'm Sarah, I'm 25, I live in Leeds and I'm a Scout.
Tom fod
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Re: Greetings from Leeds

Post by Tom fod »

Hi Sarah and welcome

This does make sense and highlights the fact that education authorities and the NHS aren't really joined up. I always understood Irlens Syndrome was more akin to dyslexia? but then there is often an inter relation between Dyslexia and Dyspraxia, The perception seems to be that the former (dyslexia) seems to be better accepted (and possibly better) understood. Equally I suspect your Mental Health Team/NHS trust regard dyspraxia as a specific learning difficulty rather than a learning disability so aren't able to cater specifically for your needs in respect your Dyspraxia. but it does sort of suggest that Dyspraxia may appear on your medical/clinical notes.

Do you happen to have a copy of your assessment or could you get hold of one from your Uni or the assessor's organisation? Did you retain/receive a written response from the Dyspraxia Foundation

We don't need or require you to have a formal diagnosis to join this forum as many here are self declared and have not as yet managed to get formal medical recognition/diagnosis.
Tom
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With a foot full of bullets I tried to run faster but I just hobbled on to the next disaster.
(from Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Foot Full of Bullets)
SarahTheScout
Getting settled in
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Joined: Tue May 15, 2018 7:24 pm

Re: Greetings from Leeds

Post by SarahTheScout »

Hi Tom, thanks for your reply! I could find the report from the assessment, but it's not easily to hand. Yeah, Irlens is very similar to Dyslexia in a lot of ways but apparently they also test for Dyspraxia now as well. From what I understand, most people with Irlens experience dyslexic and/or dyspraxic traits, with other, often sensory, stuff in there as well. But I never completely understood it myself, and doing my own research, I felt like Irlens didn't fit me as well as Dyspraxia did, so I dropped the Irlens label and only consider myself to have Dyspraxia.

I potentially do have a response somewhere from the Dyspraxia foundation, it was on an email so I'll see what I can find!

EDIT: I found the email, and now remember why I didn't get much from it! There's an awful lot of writing there and I struggled to read it and take it all in! They also attached about 15 million documents for me to read... Looks like I've found a job to do over the next few days...
Dan
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Re: Greetings from Leeds

Post by Dan »

SarahTheScout wrote:Hi Tom, thanks for your reply! I could find the report from the assessment, but it's not easily to hand. Yeah, Irlens is very similar to Dyslexia in a lot of ways but apparently they also test for Dyspraxia now as well. From what I understand, most people with Irlens experience dyslexic and/or dyspraxic traits, with other, often sensory, stuff in there as well. But I never completely understood it myself, and doing my own research, I felt like Irlens didn't fit me as well as Dyspraxia did, so I dropped the Irlens label and only consider myself to have Dyspraxia.

I potentially do have a response somewhere from the Dyspraxia foundation, it was on an email so I'll see what I can find!

EDIT: I found the email, and now remember why I didn't get much from it! There's an awful lot of writing there and I struggled to read it and take it all in! They also attached about 15 million documents for me to read... Looks like I've found a job to do over the next few days...

Sensory issues are often presented in people with Dyspraxia. For example, I hate it when my hair is wet (it's rather long for a guy), and I also find it really horrible to have my hands dry or with mud on them - it drives me crazy!
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