Dyspraxia?

[TheBreastmilksOnMe]

I used to think for a while that I had ADHD, but since reading about Dyspraxia and scoring quite highly on the embarassing bodies dyspraxia test on the website I think that this is what may be 'wrong' with me.

I was just wondering if anyone else is dyspraxic on here and would they like a chat with me about it?

Hi Breastmilk, I'm in a bit of a rush so will post more later, but I was about to post something very similar and am considering the Dore programme (linked from the C4 website). What difficulties do you have?

I find it impossible to remember sequences (eg dance steps), and struggle with numbers, coordination, posture and memory. I also have difficulty remembering left and right. I have learnt to compensate (for example I don't drive!) but I'd really like to improve rather than compensate iyswim...

Oh, and I think there is a lot of overlap between ADHD and dyspraxia. Certainly I read an article in the Times last year about adults with ADHD that also sounded VERY familiar. Especially the concentration issues.

Hi Fox, Have you had an 'official' diagnosis, or is it just something that seems to fit with you? I have absoloutly no co-ordination, or rhythm and aerobics classes or dance classes are pointless for me! I am always crashing into things and am so clumsy. I'm forever knocking my children over or scratching them, or standing on them, I think they are used to me now though! I deliberatley keep my nails short for this reason.

TBH I am very good with numbers, reading and writing but bad at recalling conversations, events and I have general scattiness. I find it difficult to form a coherent story in my head and get the story into words so I will repeat myself and often give the wrong message to what my intention was. I find it hard to control the tone of my voice and pronunciation and speed of speech is something I am always conscious of. I stumble over words and find it very frusrtating as my mind is racing along but my mouth can't keep up IYSWIM.

I have high social anxiety and I find it difficult to concentrate on what others are saying. I am day dreamy and also have poor posture and poor muscle tone. I am irritable and impatient.

I have an aversion/sensitivity to certain textures, they just make me cringe. Carpet, the rough, green part on a sponge, certain fabrics, just set my teeth on edge.

I have sensitive hearing and sensitive touch. I can be very organised but also chaotic.

So that is me! I actually thought I had ADHD but now I'm not so sure. I'm more inclined to think dyspraxia but yes you are right there are some strong similarities. I will be away this coming week so if you don't get a response then that is why but would love to hear more about you and I will get back to you next week. Take care.

Hiya,
I was assessed as being mildy to moderately dyspraxic.

What would help you live life easier? This is the question i was asked that made life much easier as instead of having diasgnosis, the person who assessed me asking me bout all the weird little things i find hard and we discussed them.

For example, i find it very hard to think in a straight line. This made essay writing at uni impossible. But I find it much easier on computer as i can work in a different way.

I have problems where I canl;t rememeber words to use and say other things [like today i said 'your dinner is in the warm cupboard' as this is what me brain thought the oven was....

My main issues are personal spacial awareness: I find it hard to move about safly, especially in new place. When I moved lcassrooms I have permenant bruises!! Other thing is I am hypersensitive to touch all over my body and somtimes in other senses. My husband reckons I;m like the Princess who felt the pea!

The chaos you describe sounds like my head - I need to have things in tables or pictures rather than lists or prose.

Personally the best thing for my stuff was the confort of a 'diagnosis' [that I wasn;t just bonkers!!!] and learning to do things that make life easier.

e.g. cutting all labels out of all clothes and having over sized big comfy things [look awful but comfy!] that I wear in the house. Sometimes.... I strip and just wrap a cool cotton sheet round [heaven!!!] Husband knows me well and we have to adjust affectionate/sex stuff around the sensitivity....... My daughter now knows that getting dressed is hell for me and plays in her room. She says "i wont touch Mummy as she will feel all woollen and horrid".............

Also I have taught her to keep well out ofn the way in case i bump her.

Also have issues with food textures...... now I know about it I just tell people I have a problem eating it and they assume i have an allergy

I have an anxiety problem and other ailments that are apparantly [I was amazed during the assessment!!!] are part of the dyspraxia and these are being sorted too.

Hmmmm. just resd that back and perhaps I sound a little bonkers..... But its kjust the quirks of my life and we all have them!!!!! [Hubby gets me thingd when I am finially comfy in my sheet.... I clean toilets as he 's a bit of a germ phobe...]

Is there anything you feel would help you in life? Do you drive? I found I was better at driving than walking!!!!

Can I just say that ADHD and dyspaxia while share similarities are not connected (but of course you can have both). Dyspaxia is about brain messages and ADHD cause is yet unknown but it is thought to be a mixture of things.
Dyspaxic can show charactaristics of ADHD, dyslexia, Aspergers etc. Panic attacks etc around people is a overlap with Aspergers for example

I was diagnosed when I was about 5/6, so have always known I've had it. In a way it made it easier to have coping methods as I've always had it written down.

The normal things effect me.

Developmentally it was obvious to my parents (my dad is a child psychologist) eg didn't crawl.
Fine motor skills including - speed of writing, use of graphemes, grip on objects eg pens, spoons, knitting, sewing, doing knots ect ect.
I have some Gross Motor Skill problems eg walking in straight line, balance, dancing, I'm v.clumsy, can't sequence v.well and crap at timing and stuff.

I also have speech and language problems - phonological (which is very usual). Like sequencing sounds.

Also have phoenene-grapheme problems which was hell while at school and uni.
That especially effects me now that I'm a teacher (when kids ask me to spell things I really struggle)
Also very commonly transposition words (when you switch words around in a sentence) and sounds within a single word. And often can't find word to use or use the wrong word.
I also speak v.fast (sometimes so fast that I don't know what I said) - which i about control of speech organs

I couldn't ride a bike till I was 11 and I'm not very good, and haven't rode a bike since i was about 15

I'm really bad at swimming but can swim, just no strokes, I just float on my back or play in the shallow end with my DC

I have v. bad posture but my muscle tone is normal

Learning to drive was hell took me ages, and even now, I'm very bad. I've got better since we got an automatic.

I have some oversensitivity to senses as well - including texture with food (which no one understands), being touched - skin to skin contact (hypesensitive to that)

I've had panic attacks due to darkness or social situations, but with the social situations (due to no. of people) I have learnt to deal with, eg being touched calms me down.

I've always struggled with left and right so can use both.

I live in my filofax because I find remembering certain things difficult.

I struggled mostly as a teen with friends taking the mic etc. Also teachers are not informed and it's not well known and because it effects people in v.different ways it made teen years difficult. Most people haven't heard of it.
Also because I've always had a diagnoisis I've been able to have coping methods. But also because of what my parents did. My mam also has dyspaxia and in her family there seems to be a autisic traits.

I have Dyspraxia as well as Dyslexia. I went on the danda web site and they have a really interesting diagram showing all the conections between people suffering from the various 'Neuro-Diversity' disorders. These include: dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia/DCD, Autistic Cprectrum Disorder (ASD), Toutette's Syndrome and AD(H)D.

The central box lists:
Difficulties with; organisation, memory, concentration, time, direction, perception, sequencing.
Poor listening skills - leading to Low self-esteem, Anxiety depression bbut creative, original, determined.

Over or under sensitive to light, noise touch, temperatur, Speech & language difficulties.
Lack of concentration, distractibility.

I definately have alot of autistic traits. Unfortunately I was diagnosed by my physio when I was 9 who only focused on the gross motr problems, and it got forgotten about until I rediagnosed myself 1 year ago, the power of the internet!!