Dyspraxia
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Children with dyspraxia can have problems co-ordinating their movements (this can also extend to difficulties co-ordinating their tongue and hence lead to impaired speech) and with perception and thought.
Around 1 in 20 children have the condition to some degree and boys are four times more likely to be affected than girls.
With help and encouragement dyspraxic children can do very well at school.
Dyspraxic Indicators
Parents can often notice signs early on and these can include:
Problems with sitting up, crawling and walking
Poor concentration
Problems picking up small objects
Difficulty with language acquisition
Difficulty doing a jigsaw
Understanding spatial concepts of behind/under etc
Later a dyspraxic child may have difficulty with
PE lessons (especially with throwing and catching)
Following instructions
Handwriting
Dressing and tying laces
Using a knife and fork
Confusion with laterality
Inability to see potential dangers ie jumping from high objects etc
May have limited social skills
Easily tired
Moving awkwardly and clumsy
How to support a dyspraxic child
Provide clear instructions
Ensure child is sitting with feet flat on the floor and ideally working on a sloped surface
Position child directly in front of teacher
Limit the amount of handwriting
Attach paper to the desk so that it doesn’t have to be held
Limit amount of copying from the board
Provide lots of praise and encouragement
Provide the child with a buddy
Place the child which offers the best chance of success in a PE task
Teach strategies to help remember things
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