How to encourage a child with dyspraxia - tips?

[maillotjaune]

DS2 is dyspraxic. He has had OT and she gave school and us a programme and school have been fab in helping improve fine and gross motor skills.

I have more trouble. He won't try riding a bike (although he can both pedal with stabilisers and tear around on a balance bike). He won't try swimming (which everyone says would be the best exercise to improve all round motor skills).

Any ideas for how to encourage him? He's a bright enough boy and I think he is worried about things he expects to be difficult.

How old is he?

If he can do balance bike, could you try taking the pedals off his normal bike and get used to it that way (without stabilisers, obviously)

Swimming is fantastic but it is scary, especially difficult with dyspraxic kids as they find it generally very hard not to have their feet on the floor. Could you find a pool that has a shallow 'teaching' pool and say that you will do races, running up and down the pool, keeping his feet at the bottom of the pool?

What are his interests - would he like to have a go at trempolines because they are a very good exercise for children with dyspraxia.

He's 7, nearly 8. We took his pedals off the normal bike but it's heavier than the balance bike so he doesn't use it much.

Interesting what you say about feet on ground as on holiday he was happy in the water but only if standing up splashing.

We've a small trampoline but maybe I should look at bigger ones.

Thanks for taking the time to reply

DS2 has dyspraxia. He is 8, almost 9yo. We still haven't solved the bike issue.

He can pedal a trike, but even with stabilisers he can't yet pedal a bike. I have found that the pedals on bikes are harder to do than on a trike for him.

And then there is the balancing issue...

My 21yo Dbro, who also has dyspraxia, STILL can't ride a bike without stabilisers. I'm not giving up though, so will watch this thread with interest...

He can swim though, thanks to the school lessons - he wanted to do the same as his classmates, so that helped, I think.

dd is nine in a couple of weeks and probably dyspraxia. we have just founf her some really good swimming lessons, she is floated up to the max to get her confidence, before she went to lessons for 2 years and just waked across the pool as it was a shallow pool. its just about taking it really slow and letting them build confidence, I figure floats is how we have to do that for dd.

With the bike it ook 3 years, dh would run behind her holding the bike, did his back in, it suddenly just clicked and she gained her confidence again, however if she has been more than a couple of weeks without doing it she is scared again.

For me it seems to be all about the confidence, things that require momentum to keep going seem to be really hard as you need the physical confidenceto get the momentum going.

DD really wants to go on the high bit if the climbing frame that all her friends go on, recently we all lifted her up and my friends teenage dd sat with her and held onto her, she was petrified, but when we lifted her back down the beam on her face was amazing, she was so proud of herself.

We are trying different things to build her physical confidence. I read that horse riding is amazing, we cant afford that but I borrowed a horse for her to have a try and she looked more natural and at home on a horse than I have ever seen her.

sorry meant to say it was this summer that dd finally clicked so 8 nearly nine. we took dd2's stabilisers off a week after as we had wanted dd1 to do it first for confidence, dd2 was off in a week which made me realise how hard it had been for dd1.

For the bike get the, to wear a rucksack that you hold onto then gradually let go of or jam a broom handle down the back of the bike. DD was 9 when she finally cracked it.

If there's hyper mobility involved as well as dyspraxia I'd lay off the trampoline. We'd been advised to get one by physio but it did her ligaments in and she couldn't walk for a day or two.

Swimmimg, I'd get lots of bouyancy aids, get him in to have fun in the water a good few times to take the pressure off for now. They do improve. My 13 year old who I used to have to cling on to walking down the road so she didn't fall over, fall off kerb, bump into people or lamp posts, decided to teach herself gymnastics. On her last report for PE it says she has a natural ability for it. Unthinkable a few years ago.

Me and my DD have dyspraxia. Like's already been said it's all about confidence, because we r not as aware of where we are compared to 'normal' people hence the constant bumping into things, especially door frames with me! I t makes anything involving feet not being on a solid surface really scary, you feel constantly like you're going to fall until u get used to it. Keep trying with little steps.

Can I recommend a product for swimming? It's this shark fin www.swimshop.co.uk/Swimfin-Training-Aid-Shark-Fin-PSWIMFIN/

DS didn't like floats around his arms as they got in the way of moving his arms. He loves this shark fin, it's cool and great fun!

Oh and while I have a few mums of dyspraxic children, can I as a completely different question please? I am struggling with DS's speech, he has had speech therapy since he was two and he is now 5, and he still struggles with some sounds, for example yes is yis, and no is nou, four is far, etc. The speech therapy is working as he is improving but progress is very slow... Was it the same for any of your kids? Sorry about hijacking!

Thanks for all your replies. I probably just need to give it more time.

Couthy he won't have school swimming lessons til year 4, but given his attitude at school that will probably be when he learns because he will try anything for teachers! Refuses to even consider swimming lessons at the moment and ge is such a determined kid I know there's no point forcing it, wasting money and making him unhappy.

Nottigermum I can't help with the speech, DS was considered borderline for referral by Reception teacher but apart from speaking more slowly than his gobby older brother his speech sorted itself out between 5-6 and he is now quite precise in the way he talks.