Dyspraxia ( Developmental Coordination Disorder) Dr. Judy Turner Dr Angela Taylor Chartered Psychologists

Content of Session What is dyspraxia? Case studies What are the underlying causes of these difficulties? Useful strategies Time for discussion

How might it feel to have dyspraxia?

Dyspraxia Dyspraxia = difficulty with actions Dyspraxia is a motor learning difficulty that can affect planning of movements and co- ordination as a result of brain messages not being accurately transmitted to the body (NHS Direct, 2008). Complex neurological condition Difficulties vary between individuals

Co-morbidity Dyspraxia is often found in students who also have: Dyslexia ADHD Specific Language Disorders – receptive or expressive Aspergers syndrome

Case Study- Joe Joe -22 year old 3 rd year student of Politics History of underachievement at school Extra help with handwriting in Junior school 1 st time assessment Arrived an hour early so as not to be late

Joe -Academic difficulties Difficulties with time management All coursework late Spends more time working than friends Difficulties with taking lecture notes Planning essays v. difficult Fails to answer the Q Tutors comment on poor explanations in essays, rambling sentences & lack of clarity of arguments

Joe- is this Dyspraxia? Or….. Is he just a poor student with …… Inappropriate strategies for his academic work A tendency to procrastinate Studying the wrong subject Not very able etc.

Joe-Is it dyspraxia? Rule out neurological conditions that cause the same difficulties e.g. cerebral palsy and minor neurological dysfunction Not just slow or untidy handwriting Need to perform a full Educational Assessment of reading, writing, spelling, general intellectual ability Developmental history – ask a parent (?) Morrisby Manual Dexterity Test (1998) – test of coordination Dyspraxia questionnaire

Joe- Results- literacy & IQ Above average at reading & spelling Slow handwriting for all tasks Superior verbal ability & average to low average performance ability

Joe- Fine Motor Coordination Difficulties with learning to tie shoelaces & catch and throw Help with handwriting at school School reports – frequent comments on poor presentation of work Very slow at practical work and poor final products The last to get dressed after PE Poor performance on the Morrisby (1%)

Joe- Gross Motor Coordination & Balance Trips over frequently Difficulties with bike riding Could not learn roller skating etc. Drops and breaks things Bumps into things

Joe- Multitasking Learning to drive really difficult Can only cook one pot at a time Can not write and listen in lectures

Joe- Organisation and Time Management Tidy enough but takes inordinate time and quickly becomes messy Runs out of essential food etc. Misses appointments Loses things

Joe- Spatial and temporal difficulties Can not judge how long things will take Difficult to get timing right when driving Gets lost easily and confuses left and right Time flows unevenly Speech and Language Word finding difficulties

Joe: Enough evidence for dyspraxia 1) Difficulties with fine and gross motor coordination 2) Plus other difficulties

Case study- Liz Liz – 31 year old 1st year undergraduate Came for pre-exam support Punctual for appointment History of being best student in class Always failed exams Competent mother of two sons Thinking A to E

Case Study - George 29 year– doing second first degree First degree Geography -3 rd class degree Appalling time management Went into army Learnt coordination Poor writing skills

Definition? NB: Not everyone with dyspraxia has all these difficulties Existing definitions are often too unspecific or too precise We need something that is helpful with a student population. One way to achieve this is to work backwards from the known difficulties

Difficulties associated with Dyspraxia In addition to fine motor control and gross motor control Automatisation Sequencing movements and information Sense of time Additional concomitant difficulties Self confidence and self esteem

Brainstorm successful strategies