The Specific Learning Difficulty of

DysphaxiaHow can I help?

What is Dyspraxia?

Dys: Difficulty

Praxia: Planning and automatic organization of movement.

Dyspraxia can thus be defined as’ impaired ability to conceptualize,

organize and direct purposeful movement ‘(Addy) or, more simply,

getting our bodies to what we want, when we want and how we want

without conscious effort.

What this means is that it is not actually the motor skills alone that are

causing the problem, but the ability to plan and carry out movements

so that a child’s performance in movement may be significantly below

their performance in other areas. It is a specific developmental

disorder which can also involve language, spatial and thought

processes.

Checklist of Early Childhood Behaviours 0-3

These may include the following:

Irritable and difficult to comfort from birth

Feeding problems and messy eater

Poor sleepers

Delayed early development : sitting, rolling and not going

through a stage of crawling

Sensitivity to high levels of noise or changes in light intensity

Problems with toilet training

Delayed language development

Easily upset

Weak concentration

Parents notice that there is something ‘different ‘

The child frequently trips when running

Has difficulty sitting at table and chair

Unable to hop one foot

Holds crayon in fist

Parents are often made to feel that they are worrying unnecessarily

and their insights into their child’s struggles are dismissed as they are

advised that their child will ‘catch up’ in their own time.

It is only when the child transfers to an early years’ setting that that

their concerns will be taken more seriously by staff who are experts in

child observation. The exposure to structured and unstructured

activities makes the difficulties more obvious to identify, as well as

providing opportunities to observe the child interacting with others of a

similar age.

In the period from 2-7 years of age children should be acquiring many

movement skills which form the foundation of movements they will use

throughout life. The rate and timings of individual progress depends on

their own unique rate of development within broadly defined time-

scales and is dependent on environmental, cultural and genetic

factors. However, there are well-established milestones which are

indicators of developmental status and which can be used to support

concerns about a child’s level of functioning and which can alert

practitioners to the possibility of a child showing signs of dyspraxia.

Gross motor skills

The child may be experiencing difficulties with a combination of these

skills and this may vary according to time of day and circumstance.

Tripping when running, awkward running style

Balancing

Jumping

Hopping

Skipping

Climbing

Ball skills: throwing a ball with direction

Catching a ball at age 4

Lack of rhythm and a tendency to be physically awkward.

Awkward walking on stairs

Difficulties in P.E. and with apparatus

Fine motor skills such as

Making marks on paper

Cutting with scissors

Making models

Clumsy when manipulating toys

Other Characteristics

Poor spatial organization

Sensitivity to noisy environments

Difficulties in getting dressed and undressed

Difficulties with eating skills

Easily distracted by everyday sensory stimulation such as

interactive whiteboards, lively wall displays

Poor attention span

Poor articulation: speech may be muddled

Easily confused

What is the Difference between Dyspraxia and Developmental Co-

ordination Disorder? (DCD)

The Dyspraxia Foundation details some other terms for

dyspraxia including Developmental Co-ordination Disorder

(DCD), Perceptuo-Motor Dysfunction, and Motor Learning

Difficulties. It used to be known as Minimal Brain Damage and

Clumsy Child Syndrome. Some professionals would use DCD as

an umbrella term and it tends to be used more internationally

where Dyspraxia is used more in the U.K.

Children with dyspraxia are part of a larger group which has

come to be termed ‘developmental disabilities’. Children

described in this way may include those with a diagnosis of:

Developmental Dyslexia

Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder

Autistic Spectrum Disorder

Specific Language Impairment

The implication of this is that children who have a diagnosis of

dyspraxia may also have an overlap with one or more of the

conditions above and that children with Dyspraxia are at risk of

problems in learning, attention and social functioning. If you

have one difficulty, you are likely to have more than one

difficulty.

How to Support Parents

Parents may be advised to consult their GP, taking with them

some evidence such as a developmental checklist (P) to support

their concerns about their child’s development.

The setting can help parents by providing paperwork such as an

Individual Education Plan (P) which all staff are aware of.

Parents can also be supported by the setting by providing them

with simple ways to help their child develop greater confidence

and skill with enjoyable activities to carry out at home (P).

How to support

Identify strengths in other areas of the child’s functioning

Increase opportunities for social play and use focused praise

when successful.

Adapted resources e.g. scissors