Dyspraxic Adults

I am so glad I found you. I am a middle aged lady who was officially diagnosed with DCD/Dyspraxia about 5 months ago when I was having trouble completing a veterinary technology program. I always knew I was uncoordinated, but didn't really know until I was diagnosed and started reading about it how widely it affected me - even in my ability to organize things and focus my attention on many things at once. I am currently unemployed and getting a little help from some career counselors, but sometimes it's hard to see what I can do well as opposed what I can't do. I also have social anxiety and depression from having been bullied as a kid and as an adult by individuals who chose to focus on my deficits. Sometimes I feel like the only dyspraxic in the world.

I know this sounds mean, but it's nice to have a forum just for dyspraxic adults themselves. It's sometimes hard to hear from frustrated family members about their young kids when I know that due to my age that there is not much any program or training can do for me. I also have had a hard time finding resources for dyspraxic adults in the US. Anyway, thanks for the ad.

S

Hi Scruffy and welcome

Such a lot of the limited help and assistance resources are focussed towards younger people and unfortunately as you're aware, these is in many quarters a perception that dyspraxia can/should be outgrown. That isn't strictly true, while we are certainly capable of becoming wiser and finding ways to get by, sometimes the environment we live in changes enough to derail our coping strategies/pull the rug out from our feet.

Whilst to a point we are pretty resilient (we need to be), that's not to say we still might get to the point where it becomes too much. Sadly anxiety and depression are common and most if not all of us will have experienced feelings of despair and will have found reaching out for help difficult. Being dysoraxic is not something one can easily explain or is necessarily understood well enough by others.

We may have this common 'label' but we're all unique and may handle and perceive what we encounter in our lives differently. but hopefully we can offer some understanding and support so that people feel less alone and better able to take on the challenges thrown at us.

I hope you find our little community and supportive.

Thank you Tom for your welcome. I much appreciate it.