Developmental Delays or Dyspraxia - Denial Mode

[BlackL]

Hi,

Has anyone ever found out their child had developmental delays when thinking it was DCD/Dyspraxia?

Im so confussed, Pead suspected my son has DCD/Dyspraxia and after year and half, discharged him in Jan this year. She couldnt believe the improvement!

That was short lived! OT was also working for year and half with him and 2 months ago spoke about concerns for DCD/Dyspraxia. We are going through the process again! Paed reports, pysio, school ect. They will be doing the assessment in September.

He struggles with balance, coordination, listening and concentration, reading, writing, following instructions, very tactile,

Wee man has had a hard time with ear & throat infections. Had a burst ear drum and pnenomia. all in the first 2-3 years. ENT assessed him but discharged him, Also he has poor eyesight which was discovered until he was 3. Just found out last week has a severe intolerance to diary. So considering all surly this wouldnt be helping matters.
Im going to start INPP and sound therapy. Think that might help.

Has anyone experienced anything similar? Please be honest if you think im going into denial AGAIN! Please tell me. Prefer to come back to earth with a bump now rather than later. :-)

thanks

[IndigoBell]

Firstly, I'm not sure if it matters whether it's developmental delay or dsypraxia - how would it effect what support your child needs and gets?

Secondly - He struggles with balance, coordination, listening and concentration, reading, writing, following instructions, very tactile, - certainly sounds like it could be dyspraxia.

[BlackL]

Hi Indigobell - Thanks for reply. i think developmental delays can be temporary rather than Dyspraxia is for life (tho can see there is plenty of intervention out there thankfully!) (not that i have much of a clue about what im talking about ;-)
He ticks all the boxes for dyspraxia, and in my heart I know thats what were are looking at, I just find it hard to accept especially after being dicharged by paed and then it creeps back up again! I keep looking for another reason and a magical wand will make this all disappear!

[EllenJaneisnotmyname]

I know how you feel, it's that thought that it's forever. But he will still develop, with intervention and support he will improve. He'll still be the same lovely boy he was, whatever DX you eventually get, but things can and will improve for him. Dyspraxia is still a delay, just more specific. (((hugs)))

[pigletmania]

Ahh poor you BlackL. Developmental delays are not all doom and gloom, and does not mean that your ds will stay the same forever, with the right help early on, your ds will probably do fine at school and in life. When I was at school many many moons ago, I had developmental delays and dyspraxia, but in those days 27 years ago, there was not all the interventions and dx you get now. I was deemed to be "backward" and did not do very well academically or socially at school. For example when I was 9 my behaviour and personality was like a 4 year old. I hated it I was bottom of the class in most things, it is a surprise I left school being able to read and write and only had 4 GCSE (A-C). Well I went to college to do a GNVQ (advanced) health and social care course, and the tutor encouraged me to apply for University, I did and got accepted to do a BSc (hons) in Occupational Therapy, later changed to Psychology.

At college I was also assessed by the Ed Psych as being Dyslexic and Dyspraxic and was given help at college. Tutors at college were so supportive, unlike school. To cut a long story short, I got a 2:1 in my BA (hons) Psychology, went on to do an Msc Health Psychology (Merit), and would like to to the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology when dd is a bit older. Who would have thought it, from when I was at school. People change, skills can develop later, it took till adulthood to develop mine

[Ben10isthespawnofthedevil]

Piglet

What a fantastic journey. Thanks for sharing :)

[EllenJaneisnotmyname]

Thanks for that inspiring post, Piglet, gives me lots of hope.

[pigletmania]

Thats ok , I just wanted to share my story to give others hope. My dd 4 has possible ASD with some developmental delays and speech and lang delay, but I am using my experience as hope that her future will not necessarily be bleak, even though it looks as though now. I was in MS school with no help or support, I don't know how I did it but just coasted through school and went under the radar. I remember copying other people's work as I did not understand what to do, my comprehension was so bad. My outlook was bad, but my mum said she never worried about me for the future. I think also another poster called soupdragon has had a similar experience as me, but she has a Phd.

[EllenJaneisnotmyname]

[Hassled]

Piglet - as the mother of 2 Dyspraxic DSs, that gives me a huge amount of hope - thank you.

BlackL - my DS2, especially, has found life that much harder (DS3 has verbal Dyspraxia - different problems) - he has had a huge amount of help and support along the way and now, at 13, is doing amazingly well at school etc. He's always been bright, just never had the means of showing how bright he is when he was younger. Now he uses a laptop at school etc - co-ordination etc has improved massively (although things like cutlery and shoe-laces still defeat him). Everytime he has a growth spurt his centre of gravity changes and the co-ordination takes another dive, then he learns to compensate and is fine until the next growth spurt, but we know now what's going on and it's manageable. Could that explain why it seemed like a regression for your DS?

[pigletmania]

I hated school, but at college I loved my course, the tutors were great, I got extra SN support at college, and at Uni. I loved the adult environment and was learning about stuff i wanted to learn about and what came naturally not things I find difficult. I can't do IQ tests btw, when I was assessed in college (at 19) I had a maths ability of a 9 year old, thats a delay of 10 years . But you cope, and develop coping mechanisms

[pigletmania]

I cant drive though (due to dyspraxia), my spatial awareness is dreadful, and I have to think before answering about my left and right. I can't tie shoelaces properly, and constantly drop things and fall over. My gait is really awkward and I intoe quite a bit but hey ho not too bad

[BlackL]

wow everyone thank you so much!!! Its the unknown that gets you down. Im the half empty kinda gal, but need to stop thinking about what he struggles with and focus on his strengths too! you lot have really cheered me up! Piglet and hassled, i will be printing your storys out and keeping it in my handbag for times of need lol.
Thanks again :o

[pigletmania]

Hasseled that is fantastic. Just because a child has a delay or dypraxic does not mean their not clever. See with the right support your ds is doing really well. I obviously had some potential but it was not recognised at school, all teachers could see was my bad behaviour and the things I couldn't do. They said I would not amount to much and would do unskilled work

[pigletmania]

Tired this was about 15 years ago, I don't know if things have changed. I went to what was known then as Weald college in Harrow, it had a very good reputation that's why I chose it. The college had a SN department who was very pro active in getting the Ed Psych in to assess me. He identified my needs and the college acted on it by providing 121 support twice a week and the tutors were fantastic. It might depend on the college as to how SN supportive they are, I was lucky

[pigletmania]

It was not an independent either

[pigletmania]

I think colleges are like schools some are great some not. The school my dd is going to in Sept (ms) is very proactive in getting dd support and statemented. It helps that the head has a dd with ASD

[lostinwales]

Just deleted a long waffly post, lets try long story short. Don't worry too much Black, DS1 (dyspraxia) is in his welcome week at secondary school this week, travelling on the school bus on his own and doing way way better than I ever could have imagined. His diagnosis was the best thing that ever happened to him because it meant we knew how to help. I never thought we would get here but we have. ( and I could cry, honestly, I cry when I'm worried, I cry when he's doing well, I need to get a grip!)

[EllenJaneisnotmyname]

Lostinwales, that all sounds very positive, on the bus, too! My DS has had 4 visits, some all day and some for an hour, 3 to go, all looking positive, too. I even know the TA he's been assigned, she used to work in my current school!

[pinkytheshrinky]

Thank goodness there is good news posted here. My little girl who is almost 8 has all these symptoms - the LEA are not interested in a diagnoses at all just in treating what they find - ie. speech therapy etc. It just gives me hope because honestly I feel so desolate about it all and have been feeling ill with worry for her.

Thank you so much Piglet you have no idea at all how much hope your post have given me

[BlackL]

ellenjaneisnotmyname/tiredoffightingwithjelly - the more the merrier :o

[pigletmania]

pinky I am so pleased that I have given you or others hope. I was afraid that I was coming across as being boastful, but I wanted to give my full story. I did not graduate from any Russell group uni, but I went to uni nevertheless and obtained my degrees, and for that I am proud as I thought that I would never ever achieve this. Nobody could. I really hope that my dd has a positive outcomes (she is only 4). Incidently, the headteacher of my dd prospective school said that her dd now and adult had ASD, and social communication difficulties, she was statemented at 5, and is not studying for and MA in Computing and Science and a Russel Group Uni, so that gives me hope for dd. Whatever dd decides to do, I just want her to grow up and be a happy independent adult, and all the things that parents with NT children wish for their kids.