Childhood Dyspraxia: Possible causes and diagnosis
Dyspraxia in children is not related to intellectual development. On the contrary, some dyspraxic children have a high intellectual potential.
Indeed, it is a learning disorder that is due to the dysfunction of the brain area controlling motor skills.
In this article, we will know the probable causes and diagnosis of this disorder.
Possible causes of dyspraxia in children
Before we begin, it is important to note that dyspraxia is inborn most of the time and has no identified cause. However, there are certain situations that favour its presence in the lives of children. These are mainly :
- Consumption of alcoholic products during the mother's pregnancy.
- Premature birth increases the risk of being dyspraxic,
- The developmental disorder in which parts of the brain do not function properly,
- The occurrence of accidents at birth,
- L'Cerebrovascular accident (CVA),
- Head trauma,
- The cerebral suffering that is suffered by the child during pregnancy or delivery,
- Brain tumor.
When you have survived one of these situations and you still feel your child has learning difficulties, ask for an evaluation. Specialists in the field (e.g. occupational therapist) will help you confirm whether your child has dyspraxia or not.
Indeed, you will have the right time to move forward. There are compensatory measures available and sometimes, the steps take a long time. You might as well get started early!
Good to know about the diagnosis of dyspraxia in children
Dyspraxia becomes more and more visible after kindergarten or in elementary school, with the beginning of writing. Teachers are becoming more aware of the persistent difficulties.
When should you consult?
You should make an appointment with a specialist when your child shows the following signs:
- Frequent falls for no obvious reason,
- Difficulty using a scooter, tricycle or running,
- Inability to play easily with a ball,
- Refusal of graphic design tasks,
- Inability to organize,
- Difficulty putting together the components of a puzzle,
- Very powerless in front of symbolic gestures,
- Motor difficulties (running, jumping, biking,)
- Presence of delay compared to children of his age from kindergarten.
These are the main signs of dyspraxia in children.If you see these symptoms, it is recommended that you consult a specialist in the field. If nothing is done, these difficulties will only get worse as the child progresses. In addition to these direct difficulties, there is also a progressive fatigue due to the effort that the child himself will make several times to face the different problems.
Usually, thereafter, there is an isolation and a withdrawal into oneself. So don't wait and act to avoid this wheel!
At remedial education services, we frequently help students with dyspraxia to learn more effectively using technological tools such as computers and tablets.
Certain software programs are integrated into it. Thus, by having their diagnosis in your pocket, the adjustments are easier to make.
What tests are recommended during a diagnostic evaluation?
During a diagnostic evaluation, several additional tests are recommended to properly analyze the child's dyspraxia. These are:
- A psychomotor assessment, to evaluate the child's gross motor skills, graphism and orientation in space.
- A neuropsychological examination to check his memory, attention and language
- A neurological analysis to study the functioning of his brain
- A speech therapy assessment to confirm or ignore a written and oral language disorder
- An occupational therapy diagnosis to attest or not the rehabilitation of gestures through manual activities
- A child psychiatric examination to show or not the presence of psychological disorders.
Why should you use us?
By now, you probably know the possible causes of dyspraxia in children. Moreover, a diagnosis is the ideal way to confirm or deny this disorder.
How should I deal with my dyspraxic child? To this question, we recommend that you read our article entitled : How can I help my dyspraxic child as a parent?
Furthermore, when you discover the presence of dyspraxia in your child, you can contact us in order to be sufficiently informed of the conditions to be kept.
