Concerned about ds, or is this normal ?

[EveOfTheDay]

My ds is 8 and recently I've noticed that he's quite unobservant and clumsy. I seem to be noticing it more recently and not sure if I'm expecting too much at his age. My dd has always been much more aware of things around her and I'm sure at 8 she was much more observant than ds is now.

For example, today alone, ds has been distracted by a dog and walked into someone, ran his hand along a wall and into something disgusting, walked into some stinging nettles, almost sat on a dropped ice cream and then just now span in a circle and knocked his drink over which he had just placed down.

If it was the odd times I wouldn't think much of it but these things are happening daily. I feel like they're getting worse rather than better as this time last year it wasn't a problem.

Is this normal 8 year old behavior?

Hi, is there any chance he might need to get his eye sight tested? My dd was very clumsy( I thought) and it turned she needed glasses.

Does he need his eyes tested?

Did he have normal gross motor milestones as a baby/toddler e.g. crawling and walking at a usual age?

Speaking and eating always been fine?

Seems to hear/listen/follow instructions okay?

Check eyesight

If he's just had a growth spurt they do become more clumsy afterwards - takes their brain a bit longer to catch up to the new bigger body.

Google dyspraxia. He may need an assessment to see if he is dyspraxic.

He's just had an eye test and all was fine.
Just looked up dyspraxia, there are a few things on there that relate. He's very intelligent, but his fine motor skills have always been behind. We put it down to him being premature.

I think looking further into it might be beneficial to him.

How’s his handwriting and pen grip? Might be worth looking into DCD /dyspraxia as mentioned.

Dyspraxia?

This is really interesting - I’ve noticed the same about my DD recently. She’s always been quite accident prone and not very co-ordinated. But lately I’ve noticed that she just sometimes seems oblivious to some things around her, like someone in her way at the swimming pool or what have you.

She’s also 8. She’s been referred to CAMHS for possible ASD so I’ve been putting it down to that but now I wonder about dyspraxia.

My ds is similar he is autistic. Partly due to poor coordination, partly being in his own world, plus boundless energy and no fear.

Handwriting is behind for his age. Constantly being told by teachers that he has all the ideas but getting them legible on the paper is another thing.
He holds his pen differently to how I would consider "normal" but it's more comfortable for him.

It could be dyspraxia. DD was always uncoordinated and took forever to ride a bike, scoot etc. I remember Googling it when she was younger but dismissing it for some reason. She’s recently been diagnosed autistic but there are still some facets of dyspraxia there I think - her handwriting is fine, and a lot of the practical skills may be down to processing “issues”, but I’ve watched her walk near people and never understand distance and depth, and she has that slightly stuttering speech pattern, which is dyspraxia.

Basically I mean to say you don’t need to tick all the boxes.

I remember my cousin at this age was terrible. He once started pouring coke into his glass - only he was pouring it about 4 inches to the left, and my uncle was like what the heck are you doing. And he knocked a whole pot of double cream over and somehow broke my gran’s downstairs toilet door.

He’s 25 now. Pretty normal. But he never learned to drive (probably a good thing)

How premature was he and did he have IUGR or other health issues? Tricky birth?

DD is similar and has a very mild level of cerebral palsy - so mild that, had we not gone private, I’m sure it would never have been diagnosed as she met all milestones within the normal range. (Or maybe she’d have been diagnosed as dyspraxic).

I'm Dyspraxic amongst other things and this all resonates!

Interested, as DD9 is very similar and we are considering looking into diagnosis for dyspraxia.

However @minipie I’m interested in what you say about your DD, as a friend with a child with mild cerebral palsy has suggested it could be what’s causing DD’s issues. She had IUGR, was a bit premature and seems to have more pronounced issues on one side (the right). She has a ptosis on that side, her right foot turns in when she walks despite years of physio, and she was left handed from a very young age (younger than they say can happen). This is in addition to clumsiness, lack of awareness of space, motor planning difficulties, fine motor deficits.

How would we go about pursuing private investigations for this? I can’t imagine we will get through the NHS hoops as it’s not screamingly obvious (if indeed it is CP).

I'm like your DS. I have always put it down to poor proprioception as a result of autism. I improved enormously with Pilates classes.

Dyspraxia sounds like a good call too.

I was coming on here to also suggest Dyspraxia. I have had a son who is like this. He's a young adult now, but bumping into stuff sounds familiar, and fine motor skills struggles.

@BunfightBetty I will PM you - all sounds very similar