Dyspraxia? Any advantages to having formal diagnosis?

[TeenAndTween]

I think my DD1 age 14 may be dyspraxic.

Some of the things she struggles with are affecting her self esteem and she gets cross she can't do them. She's doing OK at school but it takes her a lot of effort (and support from home).
She is already allowed to use a laptop for her GCSEs.

Is there any point asking for a formal assessment? I'm not sure the school would/could treat her any differently, but do you think having a formal label to attach to her difficulties would help? And would it help teachers to consider their teaching styles?

[nonicknameseemsavailable]

if it is affecting her confidence etc then yes I suspect a diagnosis would help her.

I can't help anymore as I have no experience of dyspraxia, we are trying to get DD1 assessed though because something isn't right with her (paed ruled out dyspraxia though, thinks processing problems and possible ASD)

[vorpent]

I think if she gets a formal diagnosis, she should at least get an assessment from an OT, which we found very, very useful. We already knew our ds had dyspraxia, but the OT threw light on loads of odd behaviours he had which we hadn't picked up on. Dyspraxia is a very complex condition, and any help you can get with it is really useful. What have you got to lose?

[TOWIE2014]

Yes I would certainly get her tested now. The "label" will greatly help her self-esteem - in that its not her, but rather her condition that causes x, y, z.

Apart from anything else you may find that dyspraxia may effect other parts of her life when she becomes a young adult. For example, i have never been dx as dyspraxic but I am sure I am - not least because of my coordination issues of trying to park a car. I can get from A to B but then can't park (unless there's a massive space)! It's a standing joke in my family. I also can't reverse in a straight line - I don't know what way to turn the wheel when I am looking behind myself - having had to reverse out of a couple of tight spots just recently, I now have a coping mechanism for this and it doesn't include saying a silent prayer

Dyspraxia effects all sorts of things and a proper OT report might help your dd to move onto being a young adult.

Slightly differently... My DD1 was diagnosed with dyslexia when she was 17 - her self-esteem shot up - before that she was called stupid. Since then, she's been able to say she's dyslexic. A late "label" has helped her self esteem no end.

I'd say go for it. Good luck!

[Swanhildapirouetting]

We finally received a diagnosis of DCD (developmental coordination disorder of which dyspraxia is an element) for ds1 13 this year.

For us it has meant little in terms of real help, but it does mean that the school has a formal diagnosis so that they can acknowledge ds1's difficulties rather than it just being a series of excuses on our part for his "deficiencies" So although he can write as an average person can write, in terms of speed and quality, the diagnosis shows he needs writing breaks, and he is not just lazy when he stops writing because his hand hurts. Also it explains why he cannot be expected to sit still for long periods, and why he should be encouraged to join the C team in Rugby, even if he is not quite up to the standard of the others, because he needs that differentiation.
It means he doesn't get told off for doing messy work or having poor presentation. It means he doesn't get expected to provide an Airfix model to qualify for D of Edinburgh award, and can substitute some other activity.

We also are aware that sometimes he doesn't take in instructions unless they are very clearly worded, and that he gets frustrated by fine motor tasks, and it is not just in our imaginations that this is so. So useful in that sense.

But in every other way he is expected to get on with it, and rather surprisingly, he does! He even learnt to tie his shoelaces recently and is waiting for his grade 3 violin result.

[Redoubtable]

OP I agree as above that there are lots of reasons to go for a diagnosis; not only for now, but also for later accommodations should she want to go on to further education.

E.g. if she is having difficulty with personal organisation, then colour coding and using daily visual schedules is so helpful.

If there are particular skills that she really wants to master (e.g. reversing ), then people with Dyspraxia can master them....it might take a lot of additional practice but you can get there.

Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

[TeenAndTween]

Thank you all, it sounds like I need to ask for an assessment of something then.

swanhilda I haven't heard of DCD, but a lot of your post rang bells with me.

Who do I ask? School Nurse or SENCO or GP or what?