New here

[Tom]

Hello everyone,
I've just joined and I'm so happy to find out I'm not alone. I was diagnosed with dyspraxia in my early 20's and on telling my parents was told they already knew and had just decided not to tell me or my school's as they "didn't want me to have a label". I was horribly bullied by students and teachers alike because of my clumsiness, awkwardness and inability to play sports. I didn't really do particularly well at school.

I was fired from most of my jobs due to not being able to work fast enough, not being able to follow instructions or just sheer incompetence. I am now a self-employed gardener. I enjoy my work, being outdoors and helping keep my mostly elderly clienteles gardens beautiful. I get to be creative and it keeps me fit but I do struggle from fatigue and muscle injuries as a result. I also struggle with organization.

I was feeling really depressed with my day to day struggles until I stumbled across this forum. I don't know anyone else who has this condition and so it's nice to know that I'm not alone.

[Tom fod]

Hi Tom

Nice to have another person from the South West on here. I only learned about 10 years ago and if my school or parents did try to explain it 20 years before, I wasn't interested/listening. You could ask the question How do you explain it?

So many of us have the past trauma of being bullied and believing that we're always wrong in everything. This so often has a corrosive effect on our confidence. This forum started in 2006, though it was another five years before I learned and found it.

[Djay*71]

Hi everyone. Dave here, I found you through a forum for KS people, ( Klienfelters Syndrome or XXY). Someone asked if they have symptoms of unorganisation, messy or untidy, learning difficulties and thinking about a response to say to someone but the words that come out are not what they meant to say or they had no response for the question.
Well, I was saying yes to this and that and upon reading more found this site so investigate further.
I have seen my Dr but he doesn't think I have Dyspraxia but he hasn't tested me either so I will push for that to confirm. If life could be as easy to type my responses rather than talk them, that would be easier, especially when under pressure. I am good at writing stuff but don't do it for a living sadly. I work in customer service/security role and have done so for many years so have the skills needed to do that role. Learning new things is hard for me, especially online. That kind of thing I struggle with. I prefer one on one with an actual person or class room learning. Covid has stuffed that up lots tho.
I struggled at school passing with a C average and wanted a career in law enforcement or defence. I passed a few requirements but failed others. This lead me to a security type role in which I could help others but could do enforcement also. It is not as easy as that I must say as I am not a police officer. With security you have to know the law and what you can and can't do. It has its own set of challenges but I make it work. This kind of role has me as my own boss so to speak and I work outside so that is good and bad, weather permitting.
Upon learning I had KS at 19, things started to make a bit more sense but with the internet I have learned much more thankfully.
I have trouble learning new things and read slower than I used to. I think I have Dyspraxia bas it seems the most logical explanation of my actions, symptoms and abilities to cope with life in general.
I want to say thank you for letting me join and will look at the forums for help into what I can do better at now and for the future. I hope I can work out my relationship with partner as I really love her but showing it is hard to do.
Anyway, I am thankfull I have found this group. Explains so much. Glad I can get some answers.
Regards,
Dave

[Tom fod]

Hello Dave

Glad you've found us. We can't and don't insist on anyone having a formal confirmation of Dyspraxia when joining the Forum. Getting a formal diagnosis, especially as an adult, is all too often difficult and something of a lottery.

I had to look up KS (NHS Website) I suspect that, like Dyspraxia, there is a lot of sometimes erroneous and/or downright wrong triggering misinformation and comment online.

Clinicians tend to be a bit funny about assigning extra diagnoses. Possibly they see at as disputing or calling into question their peers' thoroughness. Be interesting to hear on what you're GP's response is.

Either way, you're just as welcome if you can only choose to self-declare. GPs are often not all that informed about Dyspraxia and fall into believing some of the myths the general public are prey to; for example, ."You can type /drive or have a degree, etc You can't possibly be Dyspraxic!"

The forum is rather a quiet place. A lot of the action (and indeed aggravation) is on social media. Having two or more Dyspraxics fundamentally disagreeing is indeed a recipe for fire and fury The pace here is more chilled Thank F$%k!