Dyspraxia : All you need to know

Dyspraxia is a learning disorder that results from a dysfunction of the brain area that manages motor skills. However, many parents unfortunately consider this disorder as a disease in their child!

Today, we are going to understand everything about this disorder that disrupts the ability to perform voluntary gestures.

What is dyspraxia?

To begin with, we define dyspraxia as an abnormality reflected by difficulties in performing gestures and movements in a coordinated and automatic manner.

Secondly, it is also called Developmental and Coordination Disorder (DCD). In addition, it can be associated with other disorders, including Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD).

Moreover, it is not a disease, but an invisible handicap. Dyspraxia cannot be cured. However, it can be considerably reduced and one can learn to adapt easily.

Dyspraxia is a serious problem, but if it is not treated early on, it has repercussions well into adulthood. That is why it is important for parents to know how to support their dyspraxic children so that they do not feel different from others.

What are the symptoms of dyspraxia?

It must be said that the most recurrent manifestations are of two kinds: motor disorders and visuo-spatial disorders.

The main disorders of dyspraxia

Let's start by looking at the symptoms of motor dyspraxia. They are as follows:

A delay in movements such as walking, jumping, standing or sitting,
Difficulty performing minor tasks such as putting on shoes or using a pencil,
Coordination and balance problems (the child falls a lot and easily),
A difficult learning process for new gestures,
Difficulty using instruments (eraser, ruler, compass) and playing assembly games (puzzles, cubes),
A great muscular weakness.

Let's look at the symptoms of visual impairment.

Visual-spatial and verbal disorders of dyspraxia in children

These are disorders that affect the child's perception and visual of the child and the ability of a child to pronounce words correctly. These are primarily :

Delayed speech and difficulty in pronouncing words or syllables correctly to form sentences,
Anxiety, lack of self-confidence,
To orient oneself (he has difficulty differentiating his left from his right),
Place objects in space in relation to others,
Organize little or poorly.

Finally, the school is the place where we frequently notice the manifestation of these disorders in children. To give you an idea, dyspraxia affects at least 6% of children in school, or about 1 child per class. Here are some signs and gestures that should attract your attention in the school environment:

Escape from tasks that require concentration,
General fatigue,
Unable to build and draw,
Difficulty with writing: slow, labored and clumsy writing,
Unable to hold his pencil properly: his hand becomes tense and painful,
Difficulty with mathematical operations, despite good logic,
Unclean notebooks,
Difficulty with spatial orientation: unable to find their way around unfamiliar places or to read a map

What can be done to help children with dyspraxia?

Is your child showing any of these signs? No need to worry! In fact, we strongly recommend that you contact contact our professionals atremedial education services to be guided step by step.

But first, pay attention when you observe your child,

Don't worry, dyspraxia is not a fatality. Your presence and your attention will be decisive if your child is declared dyspraxic.

A particular accompaniment for his education is proposed to you by Helpor. Many experienced orthopedagogues are waiting for you to improve your child's learning.