I'm Nicola, 36 years old, and think that I've finally found the answer to everything that I've found totally frustrating about myself since I was a child!
I only came across the term "Dyspraxia" a few years ago, and suggested it to my mum, who just classes me as "Clumsy, unco-ordinated and disorganised". However, I just know that there's more to it than just that, and the more I read about dyspraxia, the more it seems applicable to me.
I was a very late walker (didn't start until I was nearly 2), have always had trouble throwing and catching, fall over all the time, beyond hopeless at team sports and was always picked last for everything at school. Riding a bike was a nightmare (I finally managed it aged 12 through sheer determination and not wanting to get left out with my friends) and I still fall off if I try and do hand signals . I also got fairly badly bullied at school, mainly for being very tall and useless at sport, and became very shy as a teenager as a result.
My organisational skills are also abysmal, luckily my fiance is really helpful in that respect and stops my house disappearing in a pile of mess and paperwork.
I can drive, but it took me over 80 lessons to finally pass, I had a massive problem with judging braking distances at roundabouts and trusting myself to find the right gears without looking down. Left and Right are still an issue though, and I drive my other half nuts when giving directions to the point where he just asks me to point with my hand which direction I mean!!
I'm lucky to manage alright in work and managed to get a Bsc in biology, I'm now a freshwater biologist and have a fairly outdoorsy job, but manage to overcome my balance problems during survey work by using a walking pole to steady myself, although I often get criticised on my poor self-organisation, especially in respect to deadlines etc. I'm also very artistic and musical, and very much into photography, which I don't find too many problems with, other than organising my digital workflow, which is chaotic to say the least!
I guess I'm here to work out where to go next with trying to work myself out, does it sound like Dyspraxia could be the underlying cause of the problems I've had all these years that I just couldn't put my finger on??
Constantly getting picked up on my organisational problems worries me, and could possibly prevent me going any further in my career. I know my fiance can find me really frustrating at times with my general chaotic nature and clumsiness, especially as we have a toddler to look after as well now, and we nearly had a car accident last weekend as a result of yet another Left/Right incident!.
I'm wondering whether it's worth going for a formal diagnosis or not, as I haven't read many positive experiences of adult diagnosis on the NHS so far?? I definitely feel that I need more help, even if it's just to come to terms with myself and find some answers!!
Sorry if this has been really waffly, any advice or experiences shared would be absolutely brilliant!
Welcome to the forums (or should we be saying fora). I'm being lazy and have just put forward my thoughts about diagnosis to Skyrocket's similar introductory post. I often feel that disclosure as far as dyspraxia goes seems at least for me to have been a double edged sword. While I'm not currently in any danger capability wise at work is doesn't seem to stop me from worrying that I might do something wrong or not develop enough that I can gain advancement.
I'm guessing you must be resourceful but I'm guessing that doesn't make it easy to feel good about about you are doing and what you've achieved. Hardest thing can be asking and getting the help you feel you need.
Hope that's not to pessimistic sometimes you just have to go for things and trust in good fortune.
Tom x
Tom
Moderator/Administrator
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)
Thanks Tom, and no, that didn't come across as pessimistic at all, it's just nice to be able to get the opinion of people who are likely to know what it's like being in my head!!
All of the advice I've read online (I've done a couple of those dyspraxia assessment tests, both of which came up with a diagnosis of "high probability") say that I should go to my GP first and take it from there, but at the same time my lack of self confidence is making me scared to go there in case of being dismissed as some mad paranoic woman...I guess it's just the luck of the draw whether you get a sympathetic doctor or not.
It certainly sounds to me like dyspraxia is what has been causing your problems. I had a bad experience with my GP yesterday who just didn't seem to have a clue what he was talking about, If your going to go to your GP it may be a good idea to print out the NHS Dyspraxia symptoms page ( http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Dyspraxia- ... ptoms.aspx ) and highlight the problems that you are having to show your GP (I really wish I had done that yesterday, bloody sure I will next time).
Sounds like you have a job that you enjoy and as long as you are doing your job well surely the higher-ups will notice even if you are a little dis-organised some times.
You could show your doctor the NHS page of dyspraxia symptoms. The Dyspraxia USA page of symptoms in adults is pretty informative, so it might be worth printing that out. IMO the NHS should certainly pay for people with suspected dyspraxia to be assessed- however, too many GPs seem to want to fob people off instead. I wouldn't be surprised if, in a significant number of cases, medical practitioners' mistakes are actually what lead to children developing dyspraxia. When my mother was pregnant with me, she was given sodium amytal, a drug which is now banned from being given to pregnant women in the UK (I think its use in pregnancy has always been banned in the US). When she was pregnant with my younger sister (who doesn't have dyspraxia), an astute consultant diagnosed her with gestational diabetes and she received treatment- although she wasn't diagnosed with it when she was pregnant with me, I wouldn't be surprised if she had it then, as she comes from a family with a strong history of diabetes. So, the attitude of a significant percentage of doctors towards dyspraxia sucks, particularly as it is probably due to doctors' incompetence that many of us have it in the first place. If you can't get any joy out of the NHS, the only other option is to be assessed privately by a psychologist, who will probably use the WAIS to assess you. Unfortunately, these days the assessment is likely to cost around £500. I've posted this link several times before, but you can find a private psychologist in your area by searching on here:
Thanks for the welcome and useful advice!! Will make sure I'm well armed when I go and see my GP next week!! It's also reassuring that I'm a) not alone and b) not going mad. I'll report back with any progress, and am crossing my fingers that I'm taken seriously.
. I also got fairly badly bullied at school, mainly for being very tall and useless at sport, and became very shy as a teenager as a result.