Dyspraxia & DCD Awareness
Introduction:
Hello there traveler of the Internet! If you’re on this page, reading away, then awesome news! Then this link was shared with you and you decided to take the brave option of clicking it; so congratulations and thank-you! My mission has always been to attempt to get Dyspraxia and DCD better known to the world as it is often ignored or forgotten. Many-a-times I’ve been told that it doesn’t even exist or that I made it up or I just play on it for attention or I actually meant Dyslexia. Ignorance is one of the enemies we face as it is very damaging when there is a real day-to-day struggle. Which is the reason why I’m here to help clear the shroud.
I’ll start by putting the record straight: Dyspraxia exists and certainly is not Dyslexia!
(Although I should point out some people can have Dyslexia as well).
So what is it?
In a nutshell: Dyspraxia or Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD) is an impairment or immaturity of the brain which results in information not being transmitted properly. This in turn, can affect:
Co-ordination,
Organisational skills,
Spatial awareness,
Social interaction,
Language and speech,
Plus it can also have an effect on the senses.
Dyspraxia and DCD are slightly different, but in practice, they are the same.
How does it affect the individual?
There are many ways Dyspraxia affects the individual and what makes it more challenging is every person with it is affected differently with different degrees and different aspects. Think of it like a vast pick ‘n’ mix sweet shop and anyone who goes in will more than likely have a different combination than another person. Listed below I have outlined some of the main ways that an individual can be affected with.
If you want the complete known list then click the link that follows:
Gross Motor Control (This is large movement such as limbs, head, body etc)
Fine Motor Control (This is the small movement such as fingers, toes, lips etc),
Balance and Co-ordination,
Speech and Language,
Perception of Senses, (Link to a page about the senses)
Learning, Thought, and Memory,
Emotions and Behaviour.
(For the complete list click this link.)
Because those with Dyspraxia are different on the inside but on the outside seem like a ‘normal’ person. (The terminology ‘Hidden Handicap’ is used because that’s exactly what it is; hidden.) They are easily neglected, targeted, and even victimised because of being awkward and different. This coupled with the emotional problems makes it even tougher than it already is for the person.
What causes Dyspraxia and is there a cure?
At the moment there is no conclusive evidence to what causes Dyspraxia to happen, but there are ongoing studies to discover the cause(s):
Click here to learn of the theories!
However if someone is afflicted by a stroke or serious head injury they can acquire Dyspraxia that way. This type of Dyspraxia is called ‘Acquired Dyspraxia’.
As for a cure: There is no cure and at the moment there is no research to discover a cure. It’s all about acceptance, understanding, and reasonable adjustments. That’s really all we really need; a few adjustments in the classroom or workplace and we’ll excel and reach our full potential.
Supporting someone with Dyspraxia:
Doesn’t matter if you’re a friend, a teacher, work colleague, employer or the supreme ruler of Mars. To start supporting the individual you need to know how it affects them.
(As every individual will more than likely be different and require different support tactics).
If you need a better run down on support then use the following links:
Click here to learn more about support.
Click this one if you have Dyspraxia and want to know how to help yourself!
Remember that those with Dyspraxia could have something else like Dyslexia, Autism, ADHD etc, so there are other or different tactics that need to be used.
The one and only Charity: Dyspraxia Foundation (Click here for their Website):
Many causes have a few or more charities and organisations dedicated to raising awareness, funds and discoveries in its favour. Dyspraxia only has one. The Dyspraxia Foundation. This is what makes it difficult to spread awareness. It was set up to not only help spread awareness but to discover ways and to carry out support for these people with Dyspraxia, their families, schools, colleges and work place(s) in making these people succeed to the best of their ability. Just by reading this page you have contributed a little bit to their goal of raising awareness.
Further Reading:
Maybe I’ve piqued your interest and you want to know more? Well there’s always exploring the rest of this blog, going to the Dyspraxia Foundation’s website, and seeking other blogs/websites.
Dyspraxia Foundation,
Dyspraxic Fantastic Home,
Other Useful Websites.
If you want more in depth information of what I’ve covered on this page click here.
The Finale:
Many thanks for taking the time to read this page, you have helped the goals of myself, the Dyspraxia Foundation and the rest of the community with the goal of spreading awareness, But we would appreciate it if you could share this link with others you know to keep the awareness spreading further and further!
Thanks once again for your time, greatly appreciated. Peace be with you
Share Note: Please note that by using the Facebook Share button it’ll only share the home page and not this page, so for ease just copy and paste this into your Facebook (or just share the original post you received)
www.dyspraxicfantastic.com/dyspraxia-dcd-awareness-page/
