dyspraxia symptomsDo you notice your child’s motor skills quite delayed, as compared to an average kid? If so, then it may help if you have your child tested and evaluated by a medical professional who can determine possible reasons for this condition. There are certain causes of this delay in motor skills, and one of those is dyspraxia. Read on to find out more about the different dyspraxia symptoms in kids and what may be done to address this issue.

Overview of dyspraxia

Dyspraxia is a condition characterized by a person’s inability to move and perform tasks accurately. Children with dyspraxia encounter problems with their gross motor skills such as jumping, hopping on one leg, running, skipping, or throwing an object. They may also find it difficult to carry out movements that involve smaller muscles of their body, including writing, painting, whistling, pronouncing words, and drawing.

People who are diagnosed with dyspraxia may have language issues, and they experience difficulties with perception and thought. Their brain is unable to process information in an efficient way that allows for accurate transmission of neural messages. While dyspraxia does not have any effects on the person’s intelligence, it can lead to learning problems in kids.

Symptoms of dyspraxia

There are a number of symptoms linked with dyspraxia in children, three of which include the following:

1. Developmental issues

Babies and toddlers may show signs of dyspraxia when they are not able to attain the normal development stages for their age. For instance, these kids may take longer to sit, roll over, walk, speak, toilet train, stand, and crawl. In addition, their speech may appear to be immature and difficult to understand during their early years. These kids may also have unsatisfactory vocabulary and language skills.

When given an opportunity to mingle with other kids, they may have certain problems in relating with children their age because of poor gross and fine motor skills. Parents may be concerned about the performance of their kids in school because they are unable to concentrate or process thoughts easily. With these developmental problems that kids encounter, they may end up avoiding home or school activities because of the assumption that they will only embarrass themselves in front of other people.

2. Learning problems

Children with dyspraxia experience learning issues because of their poor concentration and cognitive skills. They are unable to focus on one thing for several minutes, and they have problems picking up and mastering new skills unless they are given encouragement. Hence, these kids perform better at school when they are surrounded by several people or when teachers take time to supervise them on a one-to-one basis. These kids may also find it too challenging to write stories or copy notes from the blackboard, so it is common for them to be quite behind in school.

When kids encounter learning and perception problems, they may be branded negatively by their peers. While it is not their fault that they have these issues, the constant teasing or reprimanding that they get from peers and adults may cause them to feel bad about themselves. These children may even blame themselves and develop a poor self-image as they grow up.

3. Muscle coordination and movement

Kids with dyspraxia have issues with eye-hand coordination and movement. They may find it difficult to join typical playground games, such as catching a ball, running, skipping rope, and playing any sport. They may also lack interest in playing with jigsaw puzzles, shape-sorter toys, and building blocks. Moreover, these kids have problems in using their pens, crayons, and scissors because of their underdeveloped fine motor skills.

Some people may perceive children with developmental dyspraxia as clumsy or awkward since they are prone to dropping things, bumping into objects, or falling over frequently. They are also unable to sit or stand still, tie their shoelaces, or write neatly.

Addressing issues caused by dyspraxia

If you notice these dyspraxia symptoms in your child, it is best to have him or her diagnosed and treated immediately. With proper guidance, encouragement, and counseling, parents and teachers can help kids manage their difficulties in learning, moving, and concentrating. It is also important that you work on building your child’s self-image and confidence through positive reinforcement and motivation. Instead of reprimanding kids for their incompetencies, you should encourage them to participate in regular activities and mingle with other people to help improve the quality of their life.

developmental coordination disorderDevelopmental coordination disorder (DCD) is caused by the underdevelopment of part of the brain responsible for making skills automatic (the cerebellum) — in other words, motor skills and coordination are not performed automatically (for example, picking up a toy or putting food into the mouth using a fork). Also known as developmental dyspraxia, DCD has absolutely nothing to do with your child’s intelligence and can be managed carefully so that your child does not miss out on any opportunities at school or at home.

You are probably concerned that your child seems especially clumsy. You are probably also worried that others have begun to notice this too, and perhaps your child is becoming increasingly frustrated as a result. In the past, experts would have said that your child has “clumsy child syndrome” and leave it at that. “They’ll grow out of it” or “It must be because they’re having a growth spurt” were common dismissals. Now we know better. Not only is your child frustrated at not being able to do what they want with their fingers, hands, arms, and legs, but they cannot understand why they can’t do what all the other children seem to be able to do without even thinking about it. Their language, communication, and perception skills are also likely to be delayed.

Here is how you can identify whether your child has DCD:

Babies and toddlers

When your child was an infant, they may have been a bit floppy (low-toned) or found it hard to stay sitting up straight. They may have been late to sit and walk or were unable to crawl. They may have been overly fussy and had difficulties with eating. Later on, as they became more mobile, they may have seemed to have more than the usual number of bumps and scrapes.

Children aged three to five

Your child is now at nursery school, where key milestones are being assessed regularly. Delays are being noted and reported to you during consultations. Here your child will be compared with their peers, so significant delays are more apparent, making diagnosis possible. You may have noticed perhaps that your child hasn’t learned to catch a ball as quickly as their older sibling did or finds eating with a knife and fork really tricky. Maybe they spill their drink nearly every time they have one and it’s driving you up the wall (buy a plastic-coated table cloth!). They are overly excitable and prefer the company of adults rather than peers in their age group. They have weak language and communication skills and, as a result, their perception is sometimes skewed. They don’t enjoy creative play much and struggle to stay on task. They find riding a tricycle tricky, being unable to alternate pedal pushes and maybe not having the core strength to remain on the seat. They may even keep bumping into things.

Physical symptoms

A child with the physical symptoms of DCD is going to have underdeveloped core stability. Core stability is all about your body being able to sit upright, maintain balance, and have your limbs moving in a controlled and fluid manner. A child with DCD will therefore find it difficult to sit or stand comfortably, keep their balance even while seated, and stay seated for long. They will need to move about to readjust their position in an attempt to get comfortable and will become tired quickly.

Diagnosis

If your child is under five, then a diagnosis is unlikely but not impossible. Why? Because children move through the early developmental stages at such different rates that it is hard to tell whether their difficulties are part of normal developmental delays or are more chronic (long-term). You may have seen this variation in the speed of development with your own children or those of your friends and family as you compare their progress from first words to potty training to learning how to share. However, your health advisor will be able to observe any delays in development and offer guidance on ways to support your infant or toddler at home. Also, a diagnosis is more likely when your child is in a setting where they are quite clearly falling behind their peer group, such as full-time education. However, the earlier the diagnosis, the better.

Nobody knows your child better than you do. And nobody wants the best for their child as much as you do. That is why you are in a great position to understand your child’s developmental coordination disorder (remember, you may hear it referred to as developmental dyspraxia) and get the best results for them.