I am dyspraxic :) and I like it!!

[tara]

Hi there

I am mother of two, in my third year of University degree studying Mathematics.. Looking to go into PGCE secondary Mathematics next year. Tried to do the skills tests and realised this is not possible. Not only can I not stand the audio in my ear I cant take in the words quickly enough to do the questions. Although I can definitely do the questions, but just not from audio and not in the time given. Must be soemthing wrong with me and its the best time to find out!

As I knew uni contributed to payments to get a test done and perhaps i may not study after this degree I went ahead and had the test. What a surprise I was diagnosed last month as Dyspraxic. At first a shock and hard to take in. After much research realised well its not that bad I am 34 have lived half of my life by pushing myself through. Finding ways to get better at things. Learning that life isnt easy the first couple of times I try something new but it does get better and with practice I can be better than others

So here I am hoping that I can pass this degree and move onto a PGCE. Don't know if I can do any of it, but I am not gonna give up just because I got something I always got. Plus as I said I think you are all amazing. Things go wrong for us yes but we pick our selves up and move on.. We are so good at it, better than others. Not only that but hilarious as well.

When we initially got married my husband used to try and joke and I would always take it literally. I mean how was I supposed to know what hes rambling on about lol.. I know now ! lol

Also he used to say you jump about in your conversations and I used to say I am refering to the bigger picture... (He couldnt see it lol) anyway

thats me
tara

[Shadwell]

Welcome to the Forum tara

Mike

[Willr0490]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

[drgreen]

I am 48 and recently diagnosed. I have a first degree masters and phd from lots of effort. None of it came easy but if i knew i was dyspraxic at the time i may have given up. Not knowing this i just thought that it was all normal. My coping stratevy in learning anything was to go my own way-taking lots of time and breaking everything down. It took ten years to do, full-time, but it did not seem difficult because i thought everyone experienced thesame. So, forget about dyspraxia and just focus on putting in the effort and you will achieve it.

[tara]

I am 48 and recently diagnosed. I have a first degree masters and phd from lots of effort. None of it came easy but if i knew i was dyspraxic at the time i may have given up. Not knowing this i just thought that it was all normal. My coping stratevy in learning anything was to go my own way-taking lots of time and breaking everything down. It took ten years to do, full-time, but it did not seem difficult because i thought everyone experienced thesame. So, forget about dyspraxia and just focus on putting in the effort and you will achieve it.

Hi Dr Green

Welcome to the forum. I am just finishing off my degree at the moment. I think your right. Had I known I was dyspraxic at the start I may have waited untill my kids were older and both in full time education rather than just one so that I could handle it better. Never the less I am glad I pushed through! Its nearly the end now. However I have been through one hell of a journey. Lots of downs and some ups.

I look at myself and and all the lovely people that come here and post. Its amazing I still think. We all go through so much but we push through. I know for a fact that at the end of the day I have certainly been able to laugh at the many silly things I end up doing. I used to hide it before and now I am begining to accept it as me. I couldnt give a toss about who thought I was mad! Like today I bumped into the freezer in Tesco as I misjudged the distance between it, two others and I. I walked away knowing it was a freezer and turning around and looking at the freezer and saying sorry!. was funny.........

We are honest, caring, loving people who go through stuff but still smile and do better than a lot of others whom have no problems mentally or physically. So what is there not to like and best of all we have a good sense of humour

Have to say you are more tougher than I!. In addition it must have been a degree/masters subject which you loved:) I could barely do 3 years without pulling my hair out never mind 10! hats off to you

[nickye]

What lovely encouraging posts! So nice to hear from people who are pushing through and doing things, and keeping a sense of humour (which isn't always easy!)

I appreciate what you say about being glad you didn't know about dyspraxia, but for me it's been the opposite. I am 44 now and so wish I had known what the problem was. I've struggled with so many practical things, and always been accused of being daydreaming/lazy/not trying (well not all the time, but enough to make me feel bad). Now that I now I can get help with strategies to do things better.

I don't mean this to sound negative, but sometimes it can be good to just avoid certain situations, or accept that you can't do certain things, but find something you can do. I spent a lot of time trying desperately to improve all my practical skills when I worked at pre-school (from packing the cupbaord, tidying up, etc which I find really hard). I always thought - if I just try a bit harder, I'll succeed. Well after four years I didn't!! I think this kind of job has too many practical aspects for me, despite loving the kids with a passion. But now I am accepting this I'm looking at doing other things like perhaps teaching literacy or working in a library. You have to play to your strengths.

I don't mean that I should give up anything practical, but I don't want to put myself through the pain of having a job that exhausts me and ends up with me feeling like an idiot every day! I am so grateful to have the diagnosis, because it's really helping me. Sometimes all I need is what seems like very suggestions to other people - like writing everything down, but I need extra help with it.

I think everybody (dyspraxic or not) would benefit from knowing themselves well, and playing to their strengths. Not always avoiding their weaknesses, but not spending too much time trying to change them. That's only my opinion, and to be honest I've only just been diagnosed, so a bit up and down at the moment. But it's been amazing to have my whole life explained to me. Sometimes it felt like I was living in a different world to everyone else, speaking a different language - and now it is being translated for me.

I wish everyone luck, and I admire you all for pushing through difficulties. But just remember to be kind to yourself and not push yourself too hard so that you end up stressed.

[nickye]

PS: Einstein never learned to tie his shoelaces, and he had to keep a piece of paper with him with his address on it in case he got lost!

Someone told me a brilliant quote from Einstein last week:
"Judge a fish by how it climbs a tree, and it will spend its life feeling its a failure."

[tara]

What lovely encouraging posts! So nice to hear from people who are pushing through and doing things, and keeping a sense of humour (which isn't always easy!)

I appreciate what you say about being glad you didn't know about dyspraxia, but for me it's been the opposite. I am 44 now and so wish I had known what the problem was. I've struggled with so many practical things, and always been accused of being daydreaming/lazy/not trying (well not all the time, but enough to make me feel bad). Now that I now I can get help with strategies to do things better.

I don't mean this to sound negative, but sometimes it can be good to just avoid certain situations, or accept that you can't do certain things, but find something you can do. I spent a lot of time trying desperately to improve all my practical skills when I worked at pre-school (from packing the cupbaord, tidying up, etc which I find really hard). I always thought - if I just try a bit harder, I'll succeed. Well after four years I didn't!! I think this kind of job has too many practical aspects for me, despite loving the kids with a passion. But now I am accepting this I'm looking at doing other things like perhaps teaching literacy or working in a library. You have to play to your strengths.

I don't mean that I should give up anything practical, but I don't want to put myself through the pain of having a job that exhausts me and ends up with me feeling like an idiot every day! I am so grateful to have the diagnosis, because it's really helping me. Sometimes all I need is what seems like very suggestions to other people - like writing everything down, but I need extra help with it.

I think everybody (dyspraxic or not) would benefit from knowing themselves well, and playing to their strengths. Not always avoiding their weaknesses, but not spending too much time trying to change them. That's only my opinion, and to be honest I've only just been diagnosed, so a bit up and down at the moment. But it's been amazing to have my whole life explained to me. Sometimes it felt like I was living in a different world to everyone else, speaking a different language - and now it is being translated for me.

I wish everyone luck, and I admire you all for pushing through difficulties. But just remember to be kind to yourself and not push yourself too hard so that you end up stressed.

Well said! Totally agree ...............