Dyspraxia

Dyspraxia is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects motor planning in both children and adults. It can impact:

• Fine Motor Skills: Tasks like handwriting or using small objects.
• Gross Motor Skills: Activities like catching a ball or riding a bike.
• Speech: The ability to plan and coordinate sounds for speech.

Types of Dyspraxia

There are two main types of dyspraxia:

1. Global Dyspraxia

This type affects the whole body and motor planning for both gross and fine motor skills. Signs include:

• Difficulty catching or throwing a ball.
• Challenges with handwriting.
• Clumsiness and poor balance or coordination.
• Taking longer to learn new skills, like riding a bike.
• Struggles with self-care tasks, such as dressing or eating.

2. Verbal Dyspraxia (Apraxia)

This type specifically impacts speech. It affects the ability to plan and coordinate speech sounds, words, and sentences. Signs include:

• Adding or omitting sounds when speaking.
• Connected speech that is hard to understand.
• Saying the same word differently each time (e.g., saying “too” four different ways).
• A limited range of letter sounds and distorted vowels.
• Difficulty transitioning smoothly between sounds and words.
• Flat or altered “music” of the voice.

Verbal dyspraxia is not caused by:

• Laziness or misbehavior.
• Delayed speech.
• Weak muscles.
• Environmental factors.

How Does Dyspraxia Affect Behavior?

Dyspraxia can lead to:

• Frustration and anxiety due to challenges in everyday tasks.
• Lower self-esteem and difficulty interacting socially.
• A strong reaction to changes in routine.
• A tendency to play alone rather than with others.

How Does Dyspraxia Affect Learning?

Learning areas that may be impacted include:

• Handwriting: Difficulty forming letters and maintaining neatness.
• Following Routines: Struggling to understand or remember instructions.
• Games and Rules: Trouble grasping rules or participating in structured activities.
• Processing Information: Taking longer to absorb and respond to information.

Co-Existing Challenges

Dyspraxia often co-exists with other learning difficulties, such as:

• Dyslexia.
• ADHD.
• Autism spectrum disorders.

How to Support a Child with Dyspraxia

• Associate tactile and visual symbols with sounds (multi sensory learning)
• A little bit and often
• Repetition, repetition, repetition

For Global Dyspraxia

• Allow extra time for processing tasks.
• Use visual timetables to establish routines.
• Ensure proper seating (both feet on the ground).
• Pair verbal instructions with visual prompts.

For Verbal Dyspraxia

• Match words with objects, pictures, or symbols to aid learning.
• Use multisensory learning methods, such as tactile or visual aids.
• Provide repetition to build consistency.
• Use tools like:
  • Nuffield Dyspraxia Program.
  • Kaufman Speech to Language Protocol.
  • Flip charts and syllable-building programs.

Helping with Communication

Support communication by:

• Using picture communication books.
• Offering low-text methods (e.g., photos, post-it notes, visual cues).
• Incorporating high-text methods (e.g., iPads and speech apps).
• Creating a “brag book” with pictures and words your child can say or is learning.
• Building sound and early words is important

Patience is Key

Help your child with patience, encouragement, and small, consistent efforts. Celebrate progress, no matter how small, and focus on building their confidence.

Useful Resources

Explore these links for additional information and support:

• Dyspraxia Support Group - NZ
• Dyspraxia Foundation - UK

Information provided from presentation by Ross Harland, Ministry of Education, Invercargill.