DYSPRAXIA AND DYSBRAXIA

[stickyj]

Need to know if these are two seperate things please and also can someone tell me the difference. Thanks

[lougle]

Dysbraxia doesn't exist.

Dyspraxia is a developmental co-ordination syndrome which can be referred to as Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD), Perceptuo-Motor Dysfunction, and Motor Learning Difficulties. It used to be known as Minimal Brain Damage and Clumsy Child Syndrome. Dyspraxia Foundation

[stickyj]

Can you get a dypraxic child without slow speech etc. Friend's child also has possible Aspergers diagnosis and talks like a 40 year old!

[stickyj]

bump

[porridgeLover]

I've never heard of Dysbraxia so cant comment.

Yes, children with Dyspraxia can have any rate of speech. It doesn't affect that, unless they have a specific Speech Dyspraxia.
I'm not clear what you are asking WRT 'friend's child'.

[Shallishanti]

yes, you can have dyspraxia but not have delayed speech DS has dyspraxia but is very articulate and good vocab

[mrslaughan]

Dyspraxia doesn't have to affect speech - with DS it did and does, with my nephew he is one of the most eloquent people I know - and he is 11

[mrslaughan]

Oh and dear nephew is astonishingly bright

[Hassled]

Two of my DCs have Dyspraxia.

In one case, it's Verbal Dyspraxia, so while he always had lots of language, he was inarticulate - had to be taught every consonant sound individually. So while most children learn how to make the sound "t", say, by listening, Verbal Dyspraxics have to be taught it.

With the other DC, his speech has always been very clear BUT it is incredibly slow, which is the delay between the brain sending the messages to his tongue/mouth and the speech sounds actually being made, IYSWIM. He didn't have to be taught "t", but it takes him longer than your average person to make the sound. Just as if you throw a ball at him, he won't catch it because the message from his brain to his hands to say "there's a ball - catch it" travels more slowly - it's the same with his speech. He takes a while to find his words.

There's often/usually (?) an overlap between Aspergers and Dyspraxia.

[stickyj]

Thank you for the help. He should be being assessed for Aspergers but apparently they can only test once a year. That means he's not due to be even tested until April. His anziety levels are through the roof, he has terrible trouble undressing/dressing for PE and the helpful(not)teacher has bought him a timer. That's stressed him out even more!

He has hypersensitive hearing and smell, can't be in the same room as smelly candles etc and has very little self worth. He is a brilliant reader, his writing is terrible and his knowledge is amazing. He knows he is different and has adopted a false laugh for when he thinks a situation warrants it (so I won't fell different Mummy).

I wish I could help more

[madwomanintheattic]

'They can only test once a year'... Who can? Has this child already been tested (last year?) and 'failed' a test? (Ie no dx)

I think your friend needs to go back to the paediatrician and firmly request more testing. If school and paed do not believe the situation warrants it, then the friend needs to look into private testing. I'm slightly confused whether the 'testing' referred to is for asd - has the child been referred to an OT for the fine motor and self-help issues? How old is the child?

(I should add that if the school believes the slowness in changing is due to inattentive/ distractibility issues rather than coordination, then the time-timer idea is one that would be suggested by clinical psych anyway...)

[mrslaughan]

Hassled - as I understand it there is a co-morbidity with ASD and aspergers, but I think saying it often or usually exist together is overstating it.
What is also true, is that because of the social issues dyspraxics face, they can appear to the layman to be the same or have aspergers as well, but because the cause of the social issues is different, they are not the same..... Does that make sense, to me I feel like I am talking in circles

[stickyj]

Hi Mad

Thanks for the info. I don't want to out my friend but she has been fighting for her other son too. Lots of different issues and lots of really stupid suggestions from whn he was small about what he "has". Oldest child is nearly 6, anxiety through the roof, bery literal etc and I looked at the Aspergers check list test. He scored so highly he was two away from the top but the school thinks it's because she's an anxious Mum!

If you could see how hard she's fought for her kids, now finally someone is believing her. Youngest son was referred to CAHMS and within three sessions she asked if he's been tested for autism. The professionals have taken my friend's legs from under her with their stupid suggestions. Youngest son has choking episodes, literally silent choking and SALT lady refused to believe her.

Mum has been blamed for his eating problems, suggesting that because Mum had ME and also annorexia as a teen that somehow this has impacted on his eating! He has been the same since he was six months old. Mum is fighting so hard for them and the oldest child has been given a DX of dyspraxia. He has terrible trouble getting dressed, he physically finds it hard to get a jumper on/off because he doesn't have the co-ordination or the strength. He also gets terrible fatigue, can't climb the stairs if he has had a bad day at school and gets physically sick through tiredness.

He can't ride a bike etc but is incredibly bright, ver literal and knows he is different. It's heartbreaking but because Mum had battled so long to get a dx of anything at all for him, she feels grateful she has this one and has left the Aspergers side to carry on trying to get help for her youngest.

[stickyj]

Oh and he has had some help at school, just BEAM work but that's stopped now because they don't have the time. He won't go the toilet at school because he can't get on them, too high and he can't turn the taps on or off. He regularly freaks out in class about something which would seem trivial and gets let out to the library to read by himself. I think they should be tackling his issues not just taking the easy road. She has had the classic "Oh he's v sensitive isn't he?" from more than one teacher.

He has been assessed at school by a Physio I think but it was literally for an hour. I don't think he's seen an OT, they're like gold dust and hard to get an appt with round here.