Abuse

[Tortoise]

hehe..

Hey fuzz i actually did mean ENGLAND...

but i was trying to say that maybe its less known in Scottyland than Engyland (although they are both part of the UK). I have no idea if this is true though - just most ppl from dyspraxic teens seemed to live in london or surrounding areas.

...I have to admit that on the whole my geography skills do suck major and that when people mention places (even if its just 1/2hr from me) i often just nod and smile...

oh well...long live the queen etc....

[quackstar84]

I've had people say it doesn't exist, that i'm "too smart" to have it

I dont think it affects your IQ level... So you can be totally wise with some subjects but when it comes to using your hands or driving (Or loads of differents things because dyspraxia affects people differently) it can be so hard to do them. I can focus on the computer but when it comes to walking out side... I feel unsteady.

[david456]

The IQ level of Dyspraxics is usually higher than average, it's just the area of the brain 'the cerabelum' that doesn't function properly and so things become harder to learn that would involve using it, like Spacial awareness and perception.

[fuzzy]

Lol! Whoops Tortiose!! LONG LIVE THE QUEEN?!

[quackstar84]

The IQ level of Dyspraxics is usually higher than average, it's just the area of the brain 'the cerabelum' that doesn't function properly and so things become harder to learn that would involve using it, like Spacial awareness and perception.

Yes i agree it is higher because the rest of our brain has to work harder to make sense of things because our cerabelum (I wasn`t aware it was that part which doesn`t function properly) doesn`nt function properly.

[Daniel]

That's a nice theory; it would be nice for it to be true
I must say I don't know whether IQ is something innate of if it can be learnt.

If this forum's anything to go by then dyspraxics are certainly an interesting and creative bunch, if not above-average intelligent with it

[nick]

i've heard that intelligence (whatever that is) is both inate and learnt. furthermore, IQ tests are prejusice towards white midleclass people. when i had my assesment i was informed that i scored 99percentile for verbal comprehension but was held back by a weaker score in working memory, visual comprehension and only scored 39percentile for visual processing. aparently in a nt person they all score much the same for all four. in other words, i have a spiked or nd graph. the upshot of it is that i have an intelligence that turns out ideas to fast for my memory to process, so i loose my train of thought, and my slow processing speed insures that it takes me too long to write or type out my ideas so i loose even more there.

[david456]

To be honest IQ doesn't mean anything. It doesn't determine a great deal in my opinion.

[gomababe]

Actually, although the Cerebellum is an important partof motor activites, theres a part of the cortex {the big wrinkly bit of your brain} that's involved in helping to coordinate the movement of your body with the information your senses are giving your brain. I know not everyone here knows about the structure of the brain so I'll try to keeo it as simple as possible *grins*.

You know how your brain's divided into two main parts, the left and right hemispheres? Well they're kind of cut in half lengthways as well and towards the front of that fissure is the motor cortex {which is to do with coordinating movement} and towards the back of that fissure is the somatosensory cortex {the bit where all the information from your senses ends up and is coordinated with the motor cortex}. I think it's this bit that gets a little bit addled in dyspraxia, though I'm not entirely certain. I'll need to look up the biology of it again.

This, of course, doesn't do anything to general intelligence, and i quite agree with the iew that IQ tests mean absolutely nothing, I've been told I'm quite intelligent for someonemy age but I do very badly on IQ tests because my system of logic is diferent form everyon else's .

[arthmelow]

The IQ level of Dyspraxics is usually higher than average, it's just the area of the brain 'the cerabelum' that doesn't function properly and so things become harder to learn that would involve using it, like Spacial awareness and perception.

Not necessarily true. It tends to be that people with dyspraxia and a higher intelligence level tend to be more likely to be diagnosed eventually because they'll start "ok" and then detoriate when school gets more difficult. But there is a spread of dyspraxia along the entire intelligence scale, and there is not a particular coleration between dyspraxia and intelligence.

I read recently that an educational psychologist entered a Young Offenders Institution and approximately 60-70% of the young males in there had some varient of undiagnosed dyspraxia or aspergers. It could be that many of the young people who slip through the gaps and turn to crime may not have done so if there was a diagnosis earlier on in life.

[arthmelow]

That's a nice theory; it would be nice for it to be true
I must say I don't know whether IQ is something innate of if it can be learnt.

If this forum's anything to go by then dyspraxics are certainly an interesting and creative bunch, if not above-average intelligent with it

Pet subject! *grin*
IQ and GI ( general intelligence ) are two different things. If you had an assessment done by an educational psychologist, they probably assessed your IQ. Now if you had it done in the UK, then it assesses a lot of factors including the verbal reasoning that favours Western cultures, but since it is only a component of the entire assessment, which is also half non-verbal reasoning ( which is far less culture biased ). So they have a good idea of your IQ and if they actually chatted with you, your general intelligence level.

Intelligence in the IQ sense is essentially inherited... but the fun bit is that *no-one* reaches their maximum intelligence level. So if you are white, educated, Western and middle class then it is far more likely that you are nearer your potential intelligence level than someone who isn't in those categories.

However GI is a different matter... and unfortunately dyspraxia does affect your GI level because it affects your cognitive functioning, which affects how you interact with people, how you approach and solve problems and suchlike.

[Ferrus]

Yes - my parents. In a sort of vacillating, histrionic way. *sigh*

[BrainThrust]

I got the whole I'm 'too clever' to have a disability. Others would look resentfully at me in exams too when i get the extra time only not using it and leaving with them because i'd done it all double checked and sat counting the ceiling tiles for half an hour.

My mate has the best T-shirt relating to non physical disabilities. It's a plain white T-shirt that says 'I don't look disabled? Well, you don't look stupid so let's call it even!'

I haven't really had the **** taken out of me for actually having dyspraxia since I was diagnosed. Before that you get the usual schoolyard taunts and the like in PE lessons cos you can't catch or kick a ball.

They soon stopped doing that though when they I became my school's air rifle champion and competed regionally. Being quiet, thoughtful and passive when you're carrying something that can bruise at 100 yards on your back just makes you creepy.

Wilf

[Shadwell]

well having being Dyspraxic from birth, but not finding out until 19 years after my assessment, which is 2 years I have known about it now,

then the worst ones were some of the teachers, there was only 1 teacher that said if it wasn't for the speed of my writing, then I would be in a class a lot higher,

so in a way I was held back in school, as most of the things I was doing was too easy for me.

some people can be twat-ish, because like most, I have learnt to cover up most areas of the disability, otherwise we would probably have killed ourselves before finishing school. school life was hard enough without bullying.

yes I have still got loads of problems, and with time some have got worse, and some better. But I know who I can share it with, and who to say nothing, and try covering up the signs to.

that is why I am happy to join a group like this, is 30 years is a long time living with it, more or less by yourself, the only people you can share it with is the ones it would hurt most!

I am still covering up some signs of it now, as I would much rather not talk about it, and just have a laugh with people. if someone does need help, or advice I will give whatever I can,

but I would much rather forget it to a certain extent.

[GiantHam]

I find that people who are close to me on a intellectual level but they just cant internalize it. Like my mother was giving me a hard time about not being more sociable. Saying I got along wit people older then me. Like 40 years older, but had problems socilizing with people in my age range. I would remind her of my dypraxia and that older people do not mind the extra time it takes me to talk. But my mom just does not listen.

Something she seems to be really good at is when I am telling her my problem areas. Like I have bad balance, bad socializing, trouble talking. She will look me straight in the face and deny it! It is so frustrating.[/quote]