Dyspraxia chat thread

[Bakedpotatoandgin]

Hi
I've recently been diagnosed with dyspraxia, I thought it could be useful and supportive for fellow dyspraxics to chat about it.
Coping strategies, experiences of being diagnosed as an adult, general chit chat....
There must be more of us out there!

An earlier poster mentioned similarities between Dyspraxia and ADHD - I recently wrote an essay for my masters course about adhd and really noticed the similarities between the inattentive type of adhd and my experiences of dyspraxia.

I was diagnosed (through uni) recently at age 44, though I knew already. Understanding about working memory problems has been really helpful for me. Also realising how many 'work arounds' I have already developed for myself over the years has been a good thing. I think its worth remembering how different we all are. Lists work fine for me but any sort of diagram is a big no no. Maps just look like pictures and carry no meaning but I can navigate really well using landmarks once I've got to know an area.

I can't sit on the floor though, I always seem to fall over when I stand up...

@Bakedpotatoandgin does it seem plausible then? Even though she can ride a bike and her handwriting is a dream? Her dad has severe dyslexia (although is a maths whizz) so I'm on the lookout for related issues! Mainly because he was diagnosed at 21 and we want to make sure she's supported far earlier than that if she does have something like that.

Bellesavage your dd sounds exactly like my dd who was diagnosed with dyspraxia and hyper mobility at 10.

Belle I can't really tell you that, I'm not a doctor
But, my handwriting is nice and neat when I write slowly, it only turns into a spider's web when I have to go at any speed

Thank you! I'll keep an eye on her, I think most of her issues are down to confidence rather than ability, she just seems to get irrationally scared of throwing her body into things. Bouncy castles are her pet hate because other people wobble her snd she's so diffident when it comes to trying things like cartwheels but when she practices lots and really tried she can often do these things

I've just come across this thread as an adult with undiagnosed dyspraxia. It wasn't heard of when I was growing up, I was just 'slow' or 'obstinate' when it came to PE lessons. The reality was I just couldn't work out how to do what the teachers were asking of me.

As a child I couldn't:
Crawl
Skip
Roller skate
Scoot
Do any kind of gymnastics
Jump
Run
Throw
Catch
Hit a ball
Swim
Sew
Knit
Walk up or down slopes unaided
Finish a meal at the same time as everyone else
Get changed in the same time as everyone else
Finish written work at the same time as the class

Life was pretty miserable for the practical subjects and playtime at school but the academic subjects were fine.

As a mainly sedentary and office-based adult I still can't do most of those things but it really doesn't matter. However I wanted to reassure those who have children with similarly long lists that I have learned to:
Follow dance routines
Drive
Read maps and navigate public transport
Kayak
Give the impression that I am a fully competent adult

The only thing that I really struggle with now is organisation if I have to adapt from a routine. I changed jobs recently and had a meltdown at home after the first week because learning so many new systems and software at once was more challenging than the work I was being asked to do. I got the hang of it after the first month but it took all of my effort and concentration to do so.
I have learned that the more visual/diagrammatic processes are, the more quickly I can understand them. Written lists help, oral instructions are impossible.

I also can't pack. It's almost not worth going on holiday as I find the selecting/packing process so stressful. Even choosing outfits on a daily basis is the most difficult part of my morning routine.

The upside is that I learned to be an utterly charming individual to distract from everything that I can't do

I also won't get into any skiing, cycling, parcourt or swimming accidents.

And I've also learned to get over sensory processing issues. As a child I couldn't touch sand, play dough (plasticine was fine), or lots of different foods.

I love walking on sandy beaches now and eat a huge variety of food (but I'm still suspicious of play dough). Weaning my kids was challenging too but surely no one enjoys emptying toddler fists of mushed banana or soggy weetabix?

My only big disappointment of having dyspraxia is that I can't play a musical instrument. I've tried learning different instruments but I've never got to the muscle memory stage in the same way I have with dancing or writing.

I hope this thread attracts a few more comments with helpful coping strategies as it's nice to hear from fellow bruise covered lovelies!

I know this is an old thread but I think I may have this.

KitchenDanceFloor

as a child I could not:

-tie laces (still can't)
-tie bows
--get dressed without help until about 8
-tell time until age 10
-had trouble using knife and fork. was told I was right handed as a child and yet still found it hard to remember which went in which hand?

• trouble reading music even though I had significant musical talent and ear

-do basic maths. I still struggle to count out change

KitchenDanceFloor

-I couldn't touch mud. Hated getting clothes muddy and would have horrible intrusive thoughts about getting mud on my clothes or hands

• I could not bear certain foods touching other foods
• strong tasting foods made me gag and sometimes vomit (now I love spicy food, chilli etc)
• I held a pen weirdly.

-very strong grip

• found it hard to play piano because 2 hands at same time. I id eventually manage some basic tunes but it was sad for me because I was studying singing to a high standard and being able to practice whilst accompanying myself on grade 8 would have been very helpful

My mum was also vey good at piano and I would have loved to have her talent

I could never catch a ball either. I didn't learn to be a charming person to compensate but I would not have done that anyway even if not dyspraxic becasue of my background though.

I'm probably dispraxic, as is DD . I regularly walk into walls, am notorious for awful hand eye coordination and have difficulty with doing anything complicated with my hands.

goose1964 Nice to meet you. I am not clumsy as such just very bad co ordination and a bunch of other symptoms which seem dyspraxic. no diagnosis yet. The hand-eye co ordination, yep I relate to that. Onl thing I do well with y hands is paint and draw. Which seems probably not very dyspraxic at all. I just know I have soemthing though.

God. I remember as a small child being faced with the PE 'apparatus' in the infant school hall and being terrified. Never did manage to complete any exercises on those, nor get my body to work its way into impossible manouevres like cartwheels and handstands. As an adult I'm forever walking into door frames and stopping myself falling off level floors. My DC have similar issues with body control and motor skills.
Oh, and for the love of God, don't look at my top half if I've been eating anything that's not completely dry. You'd swear I'd used my cleavage as a plate.

BreconBeBuggered

I could not do forward roll, backward roll, cart wheel,the horse etc most gym things. Except I could sort of do handstands. I could run well. but anything really "gymmy" or any ball games and I'd be sunk. I could serve in tennis, sort of, by the time I got into my teens but receiving the ball? no way.

Never had issues with dropping food down me until I developed a neurological issue including tremor due to medication I had been taking. I was at a BBQ at Uni once and dropped some chicken down me and I got teased. Also chided once by a waiter in an Indian restaruant. I had stupidly ordered some rice with my meal.

And tend not to bump into things. But definitely have other symptoms.