how do you if your child has dyspraxia or is just a bit a clumsy?

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DS1 seems to have no spacial awareness at all

He walks into doors, falls of off chairs just by sitting on them

Spills almost any drink he is handed etc

I'm heard about dyspraxia but don't no alot about it

How can I find if this is something he may have instead of me just thinking he is clumsy

A child doesn't have to be statemented to get extra time but they do have to have some sort of diagnosis or assessment, DD3 is Dyspraxic and she was seen by an OT at 5 and again at 8 she in the meantime also saw an Ed Psychologist. Anyway she was put on school action plus and was able to access some outside help as well as extra time and a scribe for exams. She found it hard to copy from the board and her writing was very messy. She was given help with copying and also used a writing slope. She had a lot more support in primary school then she did in high school, DH and I had to fight her corner. Anyway she just slowly got on with things eventually went to college which was very goid for her although she did a few course before finding the right one and is now 22 and in her first year at uni. She gets study support and some other things to help her there. Anyway what I'm trying to say if you get a diagnosis for your DS he will be able to access more help but talk to the SENCO at his school and he can be put on schools action plus which mean they can give him some extra help without him being assessed. Well that is what used to happen

mumee dd gets scribed for her exams
it is encourging to to know your dd is at university and getting help and support it gives me hope that my own dd will get help if she decides she wants to go to university

My son is 8 and I had to push school to get a referral to the OT, he is very clumsy and really struggles with writing (he is a left hander)

Even if its not dyspraxia they can suggest ways to help.

Please see school or your GP for a referral.

as your GP for a referral - peadiatric occupational therapists can then do an assessment

My middle child displayed a lot of symptoms - including multiple breaks, bangs, can't use a knife and fork etc

she actually came out as not dyspraxic - she has minor brain damage that means she struggles with concentration and anything that requires using both hands at once

The process was easy and it's good to get to the bottom of the issues

Unfortunately its not as simple as "seen an ocupational therapist". im fighting tooth and nail to get my 7 year old on the system some how. Ive been to the GP three times (three different GP's) and all of the, shrugged and said theres no help.

I spoke to the place that supposedly we needed to get referred to and they said theres a 4 year waiting list.

I havent exhausted all avenues yet but however we get a DX its not going to be easy (unless I had a spare £800 anyway).

Ds is really clumsy contantly hurting himself, can tie laces, ride a bike, use a knife and fort, do buttons up, sleep well and gets anxiety and 'pushed out' by his peer groups which he was sobbinb about yesterday. He cant remember more than one instruction at a time and even then it can sometimes fall straight back out the second he has left the room.

I also need help and guidance how to handle it because I get frustrated and find it difficult to hide and its notnhis fault. I need to approach him in a different way to an NT child but I havent got a clue how.

We need support that seemingly is very, very hard to come by.

have you been through the school OH?

I can't believe you are having to fight so hard - that's awful - I'm sorry x

It was really straight forward for us - in Staffordshire - done within 12 months but we where already in the CAMHS system which may have helped the push for assessment.

I hope you get some resolution soon

Oh can you ask for a CAF? to try and get everyone together and listen too you? Have you tried Parent Partnership?

I am guessing you have been down all these routes - services suck and vary so much from county to county - I am having a much worse time with my eldest, possibly ASD, child

Gordy you came to my rescue last time I posted about this.

Its thanks to you that I havent yet exhausted all avenues. I spoke to someone who you told me to speak to (I would have to look back on everything I wrote down that you told me as it was at the beginning of the summer holidays last year) and she was really helpful. She was pretty appalled that we had got no where.

She told me to go back to the school and speak to them again and if no luck to call her. She said I have to go through the motions, and its probably not going to be simple.

So Ive gone back to the school and Im giving them more time to help us, if that comes to nothing then I will call them again (I think it is parent partnership come to think of it) and ask for their help.

I'm so sorry this is still dragging on :( it's crap isn't it - all you are trying to do is help your lovely boy xxxxx

Certainlyget it investigated as you can get help, and it also helps you both understand the situation.

Not much fun not knowing, and other children are generally nasty to anyone who doesn't fit the 'norm'. Knowing why can help with coping solutions.

my 8 yr old son (DS2) is clumsy, finds writing hard, cutlery, spills things and drops things.

when I took DS1 for dyslexia assessment, the Ed psych got the wrong end of the stick, and sat down DS2 instead of DS 1 and told us;" Just front he way he walks up the stairs, it is clear that this child is dysprxic". I said "Ehm, I am here for the other one."

Anyway, it has occurred to em then that his clumsiness may be dyspraxia, but I have never had him assessed or pushed for a label.

Mainly as I am not sure it would help much? DS finds writing hard, but he CAN do it, so he just gets on with it, accepting it his not his strength, and safe in the know;edge that as an adult, he will not have to manually write everything down anymore.

Also, some people are just a bit clumsier than others. I am. My mum is.

So I guess you have to think what (if anything) you would get out of a DX.

My son (5) has recently been diagnosed with dyspraxia, it took over a year to get this diagnosis and we've been waiting to see an ot and physio since Nov last year. Its definitely not a quick process! Luckily we have full support from the school and our gp who are trying to speed things up a bit. I just wanted to echo what other posters have said, its not just clumsiness, although my son sounds exactly like yours, falling over, falling off chairs etc. It also affects his ability to concentrate on anything for longer than a few minutes, he struggles with using cutlery, writing, drawing and coordination.
I really would reccomend getting school and or your gp to push for a refferal.
Oh, and someone mentioned that its nigh on impossible for children with dyspraxia to ride a bike without stabilisers. My son learnt to ride a bike without them at 3.5, so it may still be worth looking into it even if your child can ride a bike.

pretty that was me. I hope I didn't offend you by saying that about bike riding, it was just that a lot of things I have read says riding a bike was hard but ds2 had no fear and just went for it at just gone 5. He is predominantly left handed but will use his right hand some of the time (we have been told to discourage swapping during tasks but to encourage him to finish with the hand he started with. His handwriting is awful, letters back to front, his name is often written backwards, struggles with a knife and fork, can do buttons but takes forever, shoes often on the wrong feet, weak ankles and other joints are weak too, finds concentrating hard, rarely sits still, always fidgeting, very literal in thinking, the list goes on but no one seems bothered, the attitude is let's just see how we go. We have been on this rode for2 years now and no one will make a decision. Sorry rambling now but sometimes it is so frustrating!

My 7 year old DS was diagnosed with mild dyspraxia when he had just turned 6. I had a niggling feeling that something was not quite right as he had some speech problems and struggled with fine motor skills (couldn't do Lego for eg). His reception year teacher raised concerns about his motor skills but we agreed to see how things developed. Then his year 1 teacher agreed that there was something not quite right and I saw the GP who referred him to a paediatric consultant.

The diagnosis made things much easier for him because the school were able to provide extra support for his reading and writing and he is even allowed to word process his work if he needs to. On a day to day basis, he is not not particularly clumsy but struggles with putting on shoes and socks and wiping his bum! I too had read that riding a bike was very difficult for one one with dyspraxia but my DS was riding without stabilisers when he was 4 and is really good on his bike.

I've started a Dyspraxia Support Group to share some of the amazing strategies we've found help us as a family.
Do find us on Facebook and share with other parents anything you feel is worth pursuing for your dyspraxic kid and the people in his or her universe too!

I thought my DD had dyspraxia. I went to occupational therapist who specialises in sensory issues. She doesn't have dyspraxia but has Sensory Processing Disorder.

I started flagging up about my DD in y6.

In secondary organisational issues started showing themselves more and more. Finally saw an OT in y11 which opened doors for support at school as it tied together all the issues and difficulties she was having.

If you are concerned see your GP (but do get eyes tested if you haven't already).