Does the condition worsen with age?

[revporl]

Hi

I'm 50, I flunked school as, although I could read at 3, I could never write by hand and had a shocking short term memory so in the cram and regurgitate education system of the 70's and 80's I didn't stand much chance! When I bought a word processor at 23, it was a liberation, I could finally do written communication in some form. I tried to do a degree in my late 20's, by recording and transcribing lectures to overcome the difficulties I had but couldn't finish it.

Subsequently, I taught myself IT skills (trial and error and google and books with good indexes!), put a portfolio of work together for friends businesses and now 20 years on am running the IT for an adult social care programme, as well as developing a number of websites for various clients (inc council projects) and I taught IT in adult education for 7 years. All without many formal qualifications at all, I'm quite proud of what I've managed to do.

When I was 45/46 I made my last 3 attempts to pass my driving test (out of a total of 13!) and the examiner had to intercede to prevent an accident on each test (and this had happened during instruction too), and that was the first time that I really became aware that I had a specific issue with my spatial awareness and motor skills. I asked my GP about this when I visited on an unrelated matter and he said that I could be dyspraxic, but that diagnosis via an OT could take a very long time and there was no substantive treatment available on the NHS in any case. Following this I researched dyspraxia online and found I ticked most of the "symptom boxes", especially recognising things from growing up, never being able to balance on a bike or hit a tennis ball! The social aspect is something I had never thought about, but that certainly strikes a chord too. It's helped me make sense of some of the difficulties I've had and raised my self-esteem, especially around education.

The only worry I have is that the symptoms seem to be worsening. This is why I've joined this forum. I had, until a couple of years back really good eyesight and this seemed to compensate for issues around balance and spatial awareness but like most folk, this has got worse, and I've found that my spatial awareness, coordination, balance and fatigue (I guess from concentrating more) has got a bit worse since I started to have to wear glasses.

Is it common for symptoms of dyspraxia to worsen with age? And if so, what do people do to compensate for this?

[Tom fod]

Hi and welcome

Please remember that ageing in itself is a is degenerative condition. Dyspraxia is not! Whether we wear our body parts out faster is something that has not been very much researched. As we age we may acquire other conditions that can further affect us in our day to day lives. Also many people have other co-existing conditions besides their Dyspraxia.

Stress and anxiety sadly go hand in hand with dyspraxia and tend to exacerbate its effects, though as we grow older we may also become a bit more confident and have a better sense of what things we don't have to care/worry about as much. Also don't underestimate the stresses the pandemic has brought many of us find uncertainty can be a significant trigger.

[markdunkerley]

I'm 62. Mine is getting worse as I age.

[Tom fod]

Aging is a degenerative condition. Sadly I don't think there has been much research into whether or to what extent dyspraxia and aging have a dual impact.

[Andrew_S_Hatton]

I am 75 -the point about ageing is that I am just as dyspraxic now as when I was 7 years old - I am not aware of any research that is helpful - the best we can do is support each other it has always seemed to me.

Sorry for my abruptness - I am very tired with a lot of stresses at present.

please consider this thread also

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