I have broken glasses and a bruised face, all because DS1 wasn't looking where he was going

[saltire]

DS1 is 8. He has one or two little quirks which are

1)His inability to eat anything without spilling it down himself or dropping it on the floor.
2) He cries all the time about anything, however minor
3) He never, ever looks where he is going when we are out walking anywhere.

Whenever i go out with him, i'm constantly having to tell him to watch the bin/lampost/step/old person coming towards. So far today he has walked into a dustbin on a lampost, tripped over an old woman's shopping trolley and banged into a freezer in the shop. With regard to the lampost, he was looking at the bus sheleter - the same one that has been there four four years and hasn't changed at all. If he's not looking at things, he's dawdling in front of me and tripping me up.
I have scrubbed the floor today as he spilt weetabix down himself. Then he knocked over his cup of juice, then dropped the tub of butter.

Anyway, things came to a head this morning. we were out for a walk, with the dog. I stopped to tie DS2's shoe laces. DS1 spotted two small yorkshire terrier dogs. And he started crying his eyes out, whilst looking at the dogs and still walking. Tripped over me, broke my glasses,, and bruised all my face. I was still lying on the mud and he was trying to climb on top of me, not looking at the fact i was on the ground, and tripped over me - because he was too busy looking at the dogs! The dogs were on the OTHER side of a 6ft high fence with barbed wire at the top! My face is swollen, i'm wearing my prescription sunglasses so i can see, and my clothes were filthy. I've just had a shower to get rid of all the mud.
I felt like really telling him off, as i also feel like doing every time we are out and he walks into something, or when he starts crying or spilling food. I know the food thing and the walking into things is because he just won't concetrate or look where he's going. However i am just so fed up of having to be constantly telling him to look where he is going. Everyday i am scrubbing the carpet, or the chairs. His clothes never do more than a day. He comes home from school with yoghurt andanything else down his school jumper and trousers.
I have asked his teacher about his concetntration at school and she said there is no problem, the only thing is that he is a worrier - which i know anyway, he's putting his school shies on at 8.30 crying his eyes out that we are going to be late, even though it is only a five minute walk.
This makes me sound like a cr*p mother doesn't it? It's such a minor problem compared to some peoples, but its really wearing me down. Now i've got it all off my chest i feel a bit calmer

do you think he might have traits of dyspraxia?

Poor you, It really sounds like you needed to type that and get it all out.
He sounds very sensitive , is that a feature of dyspraxia?? Don't know just wondered.

Poor you - you are having a rotten time. Actually, it does sound as if there is a problem that needs to be investigated. I really wouldn't feel able to suggest an answer, but it just doesn't sound right. I would talk to your GP, consider an eye test, go back to the teacher and discuss what you have just posted, and maybe think about an assessment with the Ed. Psychologist. There definitely seems to be an anxiety and concentration problem. I do hope you manage to get some support and help.

When he was younger, and he had hearing tests, i was told he had very acute hearing. His eyes seem to be fine. when he is doing his homework, there is no problems with him concentrating on getting it done. He is fine running around playing, kicks a ball ok, polays well with all the other children. However it has crossed my mind that there is something not right when we are oout and about. He seems to get distracted by something - such as today with the bus stop, and concentrates so hard on that, he forgets he's supposed to walking somewhere. I never have this problem though when crossing a road, he automatically stops and waits to cross. he is also verty easily led though, i poste don here in the summer about an older child who Ds1 was playing with (by older i mean a year older) and this child was setting fire to things. Also if he has friends round - well one in particular, i will hear him saying, ok i'll let you win. He is very good at whatever he does, it doesn't take him long to solve a puzzle, read , do maths etc, but he can't climb a tree, certainly not without crying for help, he won't be adventurous, and waits to follow his younger brother. I amy try the book about sensitive children. DH thinks i'm overreacting

Saltire, there are several elements in your post that make your son sound very similar to my DS1 (10), who is dyspraxic and dyslexic.

We wash several outfits every day because he spills everything!

He is very accident prone, and he has a benign hand tremor, which makes things difficult for him.

He is a very tactile, affectionate boy, and very easily upset. He doesn't cry so much now, but he used to.

He's fiercely loyal to all his friends, and is devastated if they ever fall out.

He used to worries about EVERYTHING, and had trouble getting to sleep at night as he had the weight of the world is on his shoulders.

This has lessened as he's got older, and more able to put things into perspective, with our help.

He falls over things, walks into things, trips over his own feet.

His co-ordination has got better gradually, and he has become a pretty good skateboarder in the last two years.

He's been doing karate for about a term, and he loves it! It's great for his balance, and for his self-confidence.

We bought him some circus skills items for Christmas - diabolo, juggling balls, rola-bola - and he loves practising with these.

We've been down the Child Psychologist / Consultant Paediatrician route. They couldn't really do a lot, except put us on the 11 month waiting list to see the Occupational Therapist and Child Physiotherapist.

He went and had an assessment one afternoon, which he loved. But we just got a leaflet with advice to get him to do things to improve his hand/eye co-ordination eg: washing up, threading beads.

Obviously you should get your son assessed if you want to. All I'm saying is that the O.T and the Physio had no magic answers for us, and you could probably start helping him now with a bit of research - if you think he is dyspraxic.

Games like Jenga and Mancala are good for my DS1.

Making things with clay and playing with GeoMag are also helpful.

I would also advise you get your son's eyes tested. DS1 had glasses with coloured filter lenses, and an overlay for reading for a while. They couldn't tell us if this was helpful for his dyslexic symptoms, or his dyspraxic symptoms, as they are closely linked.

DS1 doesn't have concentration problems, either.

HTH.

One of the main problems here is that far too many mnetters are specky.

It could be my son humphrey!
I'm not sure about the dyslexia though, as, correct me if i'm wrong but is it not to do with reading and writing and notseeing things properly? In which case his reading and writing is great, he has a voracious appetite for rading and is constantly writing, am alwaysfinding bits of paper all over the house.
Need to pop out now, will log on when i get back

Yes, you're right, Saltire, dyslexia causes difficulties with literacy.

From what you say in your OP, your son sounds like he may have some dyspraxic symptoms.

I was just trying to explain that some of my DS1s difficulties are due to his dyspraxia, and some due to his dyslexia, and some due to both.

It makes for a very interesting time!

Sounds exactly like my DS1. He could trip over a speck of dust! I can remember him walking into a lamppost while we were at Street that the rest of us had managed to walk round. He was dx with dyspraxia at 5 years old. He also used to cry at the slightest thing and spill stuff.