What is Dyspraxia? Dyspraxia is also known as Developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD). Dyspraxia is a neurodevelopmental disorder, meaning that it is difficult for the brain to communicate effectively with the body. As a result, communications may be slow or inaccurate and certain tasks may be more challenging to complete. Dyspraxia is a condition that is known to affect an individual’s physical coordination. This can impact a child’s ability to take part in daily activities they enjoy and are expected of them. This could be running, playing hopscotch, or handwriting in class. Although there is no cure for dyspraxia and it is a lifelong condition, there are a number of ways that the difficulties caused by dyspraxia can be lessened to help children overcome some of their difficulties and make activities easier for them. You may also notice that the symptoms of dyspraxia can change over time, or become less severe, this may be through practice, therapies, or naturally as the child ages. When receiving a diagnosis, it can be difficult to process all the information you are given. In this booklet, we will talk about how dyspraxia affects your body, symptoms of dyspraxia, and how Occupational Therapy can help. We will include activities for you to complete with your child to aid you through the process of receiving a diagnosis of dyspraxia.
Did you know? Dyspraxia is thought to affect around 6% of the population, with 2% being affected severely.
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