Dyspraxia: A Quick Look

What you should know about dyspraxia:

• The term dyspraxia refers to a specific type of disorder in the area of motor skill development.
• It is estimated that dyspraxia affects at least 2% of the general population.
• Seventy percent of those affected by dyspraxia are male.
• Like all learning disabilities, dyspraxia is a life long condition.
• With the help of alternate learning methods, repeated practice of basic tasks, and in some cases occupational, physical and speech therapy, a person with dyspraxia can learn to function and succeed independently.
• Dyspraxia often co-exists with other learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia.
• Dyspraxia can affect a variety of basic functions required for daily living. It is often broken down into different categories - see below for a detailed explanation.

Dyspraxia by Category

Ideomotor Dyspraxia  
Indicates difficulty with: Inability to complete single-step motor tasks such as combing hair and waving      goodbye. 
    
Ideational Dyspraxia 
Indicates difficulty with:Difficulty with multi-step tasks like brushing teeth, making a bed, putting clothes on in order, as well as buttoning and buckling 
    
Oromotor Dyspraxia Indicates difficulty with:Difficulties coordinating the muscle movements needed to pronounce words 
    
Constructional Dyspraxia 
Indicates difficulty with: Problems with establishing spatial relationships - for instance being able to accurately position or move objects from one place to another 

Dyspraxia at Different Ages

Young Children 

• Difficulty learning to walk, jump and skip
• Trouble pronouncing words and being understood
• Slow to establish left- or right- handedness
• Frequently bumps into things
• Easily irritated by touch - clothing on skin, hair brushing, etc. 

School Age Children 

• Trouble with activities that require fine motor skills, like holding a pencil, buttoning, cutting with scissors
• Poor coordination - trouble with sports activities
• Slow or difficult-to- understand speech
• Speech difficulties can cause severe social awkwardness and unwillingness to attempt social interactions 

Teenagers & Adults

• Trouble with speech control - volume, pitch, articulation
• Difficulty writing
• Extreme sensitivity to light, touch, space, taste, smells
• Difficulty with personal grooming
• Difficulty driving
• Very clumsy

If a person continues to display difficulty over time in the areas outlined above, testing for dyspraxia by trained professionals should be considered. 

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Reprinted with permission from the National Center for Learning Disabilities, Inc. All rights reserved.