Hi newly dyspraxic and would like contact from others

[nininutter]

Hi all
I have been diagnosed for about a year and have moderatley severe dyspraxia-whatever that means? Do you think it means that my dyspraxia is severe? Being dyspraxic has allowed me to code my past experiences and struggles into the framework of dyspraxia and not because i am useless etc. For years I have been terrible for sports, tying laces, using cutlery, and face near death experiences every time i cross the road.

I live near hull, in yorkshire and go to university of which i am in my second year. I am 30. I suppose i feel very lonely, i don't make friends easily as i find the cris cross of social interaction very difficult and am often the last to get a joke as i have forgotten it by the time it gets to the punchline?

I was estactic when i found this site as so many sites are geared towards kids. finally I can be somewhere where no one will say i am stupid because i put my underwear the wrong way round and have cotton wool for brains ha ha..

I would love one or two of you to reply, especially if you live near me.

Anyway thats my introduction, hope to hear from you soon

janine x

[Liz944]

Hi

Welcome to the forum!

[Creative]

Hi welcome to the forum. I was diagnosed with dyspraxia when I was 15.

Good luck at University. What are you studying?

I also struggle with crossing the road. I can't judge where sounds are coming from and I struggle to work out if I have time to cross the road if I see a car in the distance. I've planned my route into town so I'm as safe as possible and I avoid a particular crosssing because I can't tell when the cars are going to appear.

[nininutter]

Hi ya
Thanks for replying. i'm studying psychology. its been really hard with the dypraxia and i have mental health problems too-this was probably a result of the undiagnosed dyspraxia.

I'm definatly with you with the road problem, it feels scary to cross the road.

How do you manage your dyspraxia no? Have you manage to gain coping strategies for it etc.

[Creative]

Some tasks have got easier with practise. I find ironing much easier than I used to. I have to take my time with things I find difficult.

I voluntter for a dyslexia organisation, at a toyroom in a charity shop and at my local library.

I found using the cash till at the charity shop difficult at first but because I volunteer there twice a week then I've got the hang of it. I struggle if the shop gets busy which isn't very often.

[nininutter]

Nice one, sounds like you are doing well. Its hard to realise the impact that dyspraxia has on your life. I had workman at my house today. we were in my lounge and said they wanted to put a heater on the same wall in my bedroom upstairs. I couldn't visualise where they were on about, or the angles in the house. i told them they had to show me where they wanted to place it. I felt so stupid but thats the dyspraxia isn't it. No one seems to fully understand.

I can imagine the till is difficult, do you press wrong buttons and drop all the coins. i worked in a shop once and in one afternoon, i destroyed the window display by tripping up the stands, collapsed a shelf, and served customers without taking identity labels off-so by the end of the day-no one could tell what stock had been sold.

but hey thats the fun of dyspraxia isn't it. Oh its so lovely to share things like this with people who really understand!!!

[Creative]

I used to do over rings on the till a lot but now I hardly ever do one. The till in the toyroom is easier to use than the one in the main shop. I tried to volunteer in the main shop a few years ago and found it difficult but I'm much happier in the toyroom. It doesn't often get busy and I can work at my own pace.

I would have the same trouble with the heater. I still live at home with my Mum and Dad at the moment so I don't have to deal with problems like that yet.

[gherkin001]

Hi and welcome to the mad-house!!!

Kirsty

[Shadwell]

sorry I haven't responded until now, a belated welcome to the forum,

the tricks I find like crossing roads, is going to the less busy roads, and then crossing them when ever possible, but walking wise, then I would wait until I could see at least 200 feet in both directions, and then cross if nothing is within that distance, it is mainly stepping off kerb, and stepping back on I tend to have the most problems with, so things like not crossing near to a junction, because the more roads I have to look the worse I am.

I do drive, but it is basically a means to a way of getting about more than an enjoyment. and my full concerntration is on the road, like people can talk to me in the car, but they only get simple answers like yes, or no, but most of it is like in one ear, and out of the other.

while I was diagnosed at the age of 10, we were never told anything about the diagnosis until I read it about 4 years ago in my medical records, I knew the area of my records I was most interested in seeing, as my parents kept taking me back and fore to the doctors, and to hospital appointments when I was in junior school, so that knocked out about 25 years, but just checking up on things from birth until I was 12, but as time was moving on, and my support worker had to get back, then the medical report I wanted the most was the one that held the information about the diagnosis, which luckily was what I asked to have photo copied. so was able to read it a few days later, as it was around the christmas time.

now aged 33, plus finding this forum has helped me quite a lot. but wished I was told about being dyspraxic, and the information about it as a kid, maybe then school life wouldn't have been 1/2 as bad, like always told off for day dreaming, and always the last to finish writing from the blackboard. and I mean miles behind everyone else, like I would finish the first line, when everybody had finished 2 blackboards full of writing.


and yes that did make me angry at myself, not to mention getting picked on by teachers.

you can add me to your msn if you want to chat.

Mike