Dyspraxia

[freespirit333]

What sports do your DC with Dyspraxia (DCD) do?

DS9 has tried a lot, and he really isn’t any good at ball sports. He’s on a nice, inclusive football team but I don’t think he loves it (he never practices kicking a ball around outside of it, unless with a friend who wants to and even then it’s short lived) and I’ve noticed this term (just started Y5) that some of the more talented boys are getting really frustrated when they lose, and he’s definitely the weakest player on their team so I’m concerned their anger is directed towards him, and he’ll start to be really disliked.

I’m thinking of gently suggesting this is his last season. He does swimming lessons which he’s fine at but nothing amazing, and I can occasionally drag him to Junior Park run. He also goes to a gymnastics club once a week, he’s pretty rubbish but it can only be a positive thing for his strength and core, and due to the nature of it I don’t worry about him getting targeted for letting the team down.

Thanks all for the suggestions, lots to think about and such a range of abilities and difficulties across the board!

For my DS I just hope he finds his passion and something he loves. He’s got a couple of very likely ND friends and they get quite obsessed with football, but it means they practice for hours in the garden, which if DS did (with any activity), he would improve!

I have dyspraxia (and do sometimes use my hands to climb the stairs at home 😳) and my doctor suggested that I would probably enjoy non-team sports more and she was right. I also avoid racquet sports (many painful memories of being useless in childhood tennis lessons and rounders in PE!).

Swimming is good - and remember DS doesn’t need to be or get good at it! The point is exercise and enjoyment, not being good. Running, hiking, kayaking, yoga are good too as they can be done at your own speed. Weightlifting maybe once he’s a teen. Has he tried any martial arts?

DD has tried many things - kickboxing has been one she's stuck at longest (although her dad does have to hold the pads for her with pad drills as she can't quite process the motor movements for that).

My dc didn't manage any sports really... A bit of basketball at low level think being tall helped.
Oddly enough badminton not dreadful...
Can swim but not enough for a club..
Rowing? Worked for dh but dc too anxious.. trampolining hurt himself 1st time.. (poor teacher/. supervisor) so wouldn't try again..
Running is about it but he's not keen

Do you receive DLA for him? It would be worth applying for and using the money to fund climbing or something that is more individual if that’s what you think he would be better doing.

Have you considered cricket?

We come from an autism & slow processing angle so it might the different, but the magic of cricket is you're doing different disciplines but only one at a time. You're batting, or bowling, or fielding. You never really have to put it all together and react on the fly like you do in football. There's a thriving disability scene because it works well for people with a lot of different challenges.

It tends to kick off with indoor practice in Jan, they go outside for the summer term, and then they have the Sept term off.

@Dressedilemma Re trampolining, I wasn't aware of the risks associated with hypermobility, it was never mentioned in the trampolining club that DS attended (in the disability group). Thanks for pointing it out, it really helps.

@brittanyfairies I'm not sure if it's an area-dependent thing or countrywide, but I believe that people who have a disability that prevents them from learning to drive successfully can apply for free bus travel pass. It might not be any use to your son but maybe worth looking into..?

My ds did rugby for a while but found it too nerve wracking in the end because he couldn’t keep up with what was happening in the game. He enjoys golf/crazy golf and is pretty good at it too. The one thing he has stuck with since he was 6 years old and a beaver is scouting. He’s now 14 and in explorers. He loves a hike and squelching around in a muddy field, cooking on a campfire and all that. Theres always something they will enjoy. May not even be a sport though.