Children

[Mistydawnmanning]

Hello to all, and good to meet you. I was diagnosed with developmental dyspraxia at age 4. I am now 43, and have an 11 month old son. I recently moved away from his father, who was a drug addict and mentally abusive. I have always struggled with maintaining a work-life balance, cleaning, cooking, organizing, keeping myself on a schedule at home, depression, anxiety, and very low energy level. My house is always trashed, and I find it impossible to keep up. I find it very hard to remember things like making appointments and buying basic household items. Everyone is always telling you that I'm using my dyspraxia as an excuse, but I feel that it is much harder for me to keep up with these things than it is for other people. Does anyone know where I can get assistance with these skills so that I can give my son the best life possible? I'm in St Petersburg Florida.

[Andrew_S_Hatton]

Welcome - I do not know about Florida as I am in the United Kingdom, actually in Essex England and a 75 year old retired social worker and probation officer.

I agree it is harder for us - I discovered I have developmental dyspraxia when I was 50 in 1999 and am still discovering new aspects.

I wish you well as a single parent who has broken away from a difficult relationship. I hope you have family support as it is hard for anyone to be the income provider and sole carer of children - no doubt you have the complexities of the children's father's continuing involvement {or not) in the family.

This forum is not very active but I hope your post is seen by others in the USA, perhaps even Florida who know better about what support might be available - maybe the school can give you ideas.

There is an organisation called Dyspraxia Foundation USA who possibly know about appropriate support available to you. They are in Illinois and certainly invite contact via their website and a telephone number https://dyspraxiausa.org/

Please post here anytime.as well

[Andrew_S_Hatton]

Whoops - to prove my dyspraxia - the age of Mistydawnmanning's child did not register with me until I reread her post after I had replied!

An 11 month old child is not going to be at school yet - sorry.

[Tom fod]

Hello to all, and good to meet you. I was diagnosed with developmental dyspraxia at age 4. I am now 43, and have an 11 month old son. I recently moved away from his father, who was a drug addict and mentally abusive. I have always struggled with maintaining a work-life balance, cleaning, cooking, organizing, keeping myself on a schedule at home, depression, anxiety, and very low energy level. My house is always trashed, and I find it impossible to keep up. I find it very hard to remember things like making appointments and buying basic household items. Everyone is always telling you that I'm using my dyspraxia as an excuse, but I feel that it is much harder for me to keep up with these things than it is for other people. Does anyone know where I can get assistance with these skills so that I can give my son the best life possible? I'm in St Petersburg Florida.

Hi Misty

There are at least a couple of Dyspraxia Orgs in the USA, the one in IL as mentioned by Andrew and another in NY. I'm conscious that could be a 1,000 miles away. Provision in the US sadly is not good.
viewtopic.php?t=7385

How To ADHD has some content that can be really helpful. Sadly many people just don't understand that we operate differently. We're not lazy or using our condition as an excuse. The judgement in itself is lazy. Dyspraxia is an explanation for why other people's mandated approaches to tasks might not be v suitable for us as individuals. Being told we're stupid or lazy is just that.

[Mistydawnmanning]

Thank you all for the advice. I was unaware of the dyspraxia foundation in the US. I will check that out. I wish there was more understanding of this condition. I am really struggling out here, as I am sure we all are.