Survey on Dyspraxia and Higher Education

[sanabitur_anima]

Hi. I'm dyspraxic and I've had very mixed experiences of higher education (I had to drop out the first time I went to university, but I'm not at university and doing quite well.) I am thinking of writing a book about dyspraxia and higher education and I'd really appreciate if some of you could fill in this survey (it's 10 questions long and completely confidential.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/H57LLCD

Thanks.

[sanabitur_anima]

Just to clarify - it's for anyone who is at university, or ever has been. It would be really helpful if as many people as possile took it.

[Lady Fluff]

No problem, all done!

[Avarice]

As Have I

But I think a bigger issue is being overlooked which is why encourage ND people to even bother if there is little or no liklihood of a degree based job?(Other than a substandard low intellect required one if not on benefits.)There is support in special needs but the university careers services are a sick joke beyond giving inane platitudes.

It can be stressful enough for ND people even getting a pass degree never mind top Honours thank you very much.

Yet it is often educational psychologists who are saying that such people are "university material" when the reality is that the selection process/requirements for good non graduate or actual graduate jobs is difficult for ND people to match if their qualification dosen't automatically equip them to do it. (If it dosen't then perhaps University careers departments should be required to have more responsibility for this?)

Obviously what these people measure in their testing and what prospective employers expect are not the same so that makes me think these people should be villified for their crimes against common sense.

See my thread "Do Gooding Educational Psychologists" and the musings of Alladin on the subject.

[dyspraxicgirl]

Hi,

I cannot answer to the question about what I studied at University because none of them is taken into account by the survey.

[billy]

hi im billy im 34 i have dyslexia and dyspraxia i was diagnosed 32 i feel like i served a prison sentence for a cime i didt commit . ive never had a girlfriend i cant just get them intrested in me WHY ?.im at uni studying ba fine art im a photograhper and artists im getting great support at uni from the disabilities office JUST BRILL

[littlemissbump14]

@Avarice,
I feel like you need to try and be a little more positive about life! It sounds like you speak from bad personal experience...
I'm still doing my degree, but am on track to graduate with a good MA, and have never had trouble finding employment. I know that so far it has only been temp work and a saturday job, but so far so good, my dyspraxia hasn't ever held me back in that regard. I also know that there are other people here who have gone to uni and now have really good jobs.
Plus, there is the other fact, that ALL graduates are now struggling to find work! Labour encouraged too many people to go to uni, so there's now more graduates than graduate positions- especially with popular degrees, such as psychology.
If you are indeed speaking from experience then perhaps the reasons you have struggled to find good employment is something you are doing wrong, or just not doing perhaps? and unrelated to dyspraxia?
I have NEVER found found that being dyspraxic has to stand in the way of doing anything! Sometimes we just have to try a little harder than other people or do things in a different manner!
On another note, I will gladly fill out the survey now! I hope your book can help some people looking for answers sanabitur_anima!

Littlemissbump14 x
P.S. What does ND stand for??

[Lady Fluff]

Pssst, LMB14 - ND means Neuro-Diverse - a time applied to those who are 'wired differently' to Neuro-Typicals (NTs - 'normal' people!). Hope that helps!

[meow]

Done.

[littlemissbump14]

Thank you Lady Fluff!!
The ND's are the special ones then, go us!

[Avarice]

I'm still doing my degree, but am on track to graduate with a good MA, and have never had trouble finding employment. I know that so far it has only been temp work and a saturday job, but so far so good

All I can say to that is that sort of thing has never played to my strengths, people are affected by their issues here to different degrees which is part of their problem and why is it in my own time left to learn in my own way to get on with something (especially historically academic work) I have much more of a bloody clue what I am supposed to be trying to learn or do?

[morrisbryan]

Dyspraxia Foundation is committed to teaching and medical professions awareness of dyspraxia, and spread the knowledge of how those who are in good condition can be helped.

[Tim G]

I have NEVER found found that being dyspraxic has to stand in the way of doing anything! Sometimes we just have to try a little harder than other people or do things in a different manner!

I don't know about that - mabie you have found things easer or can do things then other dyspraxicis. In my experance dyspraxicia and dyslexicia has hinderd and caused me a lot of problems; - sochal situations such as insulting people unknowlingly and just not getting the point and having to be spoken to like a child (its often the only way my litterial mind will understand things). Not being aware of things and what is going on etc, driving - I am not going to be able to drive, I have had cronic low self-esteem from a verry early age and this has quickly lead on to depreshion and axianty when things got bad. I have wanted to peramantly mute myself as what I say seams to cause major problems (I just dont think / am aware), dropping out of unie as I couldent cope........

I there are a lot more things that I could list but I am sure you get the jist - yes we have to try harder but for me I feel that only gets the verry basicks - everything else if out of reach.

This is just my view and experance of it and i know that there are thoes who are verry affected by dyspraxicia and others which arnt so much.

[Tom fod]

I agree everyone is affected in different ways and to different degrees. Also some are better at coping with others with different things. Most of the time if things seem to be going my way or are within the realms of it doesn't matter and it really is not my fault I can cope.

But then some days no matter how hard I've tried things just seem to go wrong one after the other and as a result I feel stupider and stupider and that's when I hate myself and the stupid inflexible world.

Obviously that should be a sign to say I've tried I'll have a rest and do something completely different that will give me chance to relax and hopefully it will sort itself out.

Problem is it's not easy to think like that when you've tried really hard to get it right, you're stressed and hyper aware that people are likely to be judging you on your mistakes and failures as it all too conveniently detracts from their own perceived failings.

I think it's really unhelpful trying to compare ourselves to others but dyspraxia tends to make us hyper aware of our own perceived failings and that really crushes our self esteem.

We can all make a valid contribution if other people looked more favourably at what others are good at rather than what we aren't. Sadly the world is a harsh/mad place!

I now need to go and purge myself of this diversity manual that I must have inadvertently swallowed and seem to be regurgitating today!

[taylorbaynton]

I think you need a little more active try and live! It sounds like you speak from personal experience. I was doing my degree, but graduates with a good horse track, I never had difficult jobs. I know that, so far, it has been a temporary work and Saturday work, but so far, I'm not a barrier to use in this regard, I come back. I also know there are other people in the here and now UNI good work. In addition, there are other facts, all the graduates, are now looking for work! The Labour Department encourages many people to UNI, so now than graduate jobs, especially with the popular level, such as psychology, more graduates.

I have a lot of things, I can list, but I believe you JIST - Yes, we must redouble our efforts, but for me, I think only very basics all if out of reach. This is only my opinion and it experience, I know there are those who are very dyspraxicia and other so much impact.