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SN children

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Original poster

How do dyspraxic children fair when grown up and in the real world?

19 replies

pepsi · 29/09/2006 11:21

Im convinced my ds61/2 is dyspraxic, ed phsych coming to school next week and have appointment with paed in Nov. We have been seeing people on and off since he was 3 and now he is in Year 2 the sudden change seems to have really affected him. Ive got myself in a bit of a state about it with all the worry, mainly about the teenage years. I was wondering how your dyspraxic children have got on.....is bullying inevitable, have they been passed exams and gone on to further education and gone into good jobs or is it accepted that children like this just wont get on and that life will be a struggle.

OP posts:

Bink · 29/09/2006 11:32

I work in a big law firm and last year I had a fantastic clever interesting trainee who is dyspraxic. He has since gone on to qualify here and will do very well.

The things that are noticeable about him are that he can't run, and that when reading he uses a ruler under each line to keep his eyes on track. In professional terms he has as bright a future as anyone here.

He is very open about his dyspraxia, and says that the three best things his parents did for him were: teach him piano; play card games that developed speed and co-ordination of both thinking and using your hands; and send him to sports camps that were very experienced in dealing with physical difficulties. So, for instance, although he loves sport he cannot play it - so has qualified as an umpire instead.

Original poster

pepsi · 29/09/2006 11:37

thats a great story, thanks,

OP posts:

anniebear · 29/09/2006 12:19

That was lovely to read Bink

Must have been even lovelier for you Pepsi!

noddyholder · 29/09/2006 12:35

My ds is dyspraxic we think as we didn't know what it was and hence all his problems with tieing laces riding a bike spilling food etc were seen as being a bit 'useless' He has persevered and can now do most things and against all the odds is brilliant at skateboarding Can ride a bike but hardly does still spills food everywhere if he doesn't really concentrate and shoelaces are always loose and kind of half tied.I have to hold my breath when he uses scissors!Having said that my dp has taught him to play guitar and drums and he has mastered both.We looked at getting a formal diagnosis earlier this year but he didn't want it and i think all the activities we have done with him have helped.He struggles with drawing and writing but is in mostly top sets at school and just has to really practice everything til he gets it Some things like shoes and cutlery are still hard for him but I don't think it has hindered him over all

Saturn74 · 29/09/2006 16:15

DS1 is 10 and dyspraxic and dyslexic. He has improved gradually as he has got older. Still spills food everywhere, drops things, trips over etc quite a bit. He is great at skateboarding though, and has had a lot of help from the older boys at the skatepark - great for his self-confidence!

We sent him to a tennis coaching clinic, with a really understanding professional coach. He helped DS1 with his co-ordination, and although he will never in Wimbledon, he enjoys playing.

DS1 also has quite a marked 'benign intention tremor' in his hands, and this still causes him great problems with his writing, but he is improving bit by bit.

Things like games (eg: Jenga, Mancala, Cadoo, plus space invaders on his nintendo ds) trampolining, Hama, clay, as well as karate all help him with hand eye co-ordination and balance.

He could talk the hind leg off a donkey, he's a real charmer, and he's friendly yet determined, so I can't see his dyspraxia or dyslexia stopping him from doing whatever he wants to do in later life - and being a success.

HTH.

Pinkchampagne · 29/09/2006 16:25

I am pretty sure my DS1 has dyspraxia, as he displays a lot of the symptoms & I am worrying about the same things as you, pepsi.
He has just gone into year 2 & has good days & bad days.
His concentration is very poor, as are his social skills, dressing skills & ability to do the most simple things like putting his seatbelt on etc. He is also very lathargic.
I worry a lot about him coping with the SATs this year, as he needs constant pushing.

It was lovely to read bink's story.

Blandmum · 29/09/2006 16:27

My oldest friend has a child with dyspraxia,. When she was dxed the specialist told both parents that they aere also dyspraxic!

One is a primary school teacher and one a pharmacist! They both went and had firther education. the only limit on my mate is that she has never managed to learn to ride a bike or drive a car

maggiesmama · 29/09/2006 16:27

hey... just to say i am terribly dyslexic, but i have a ba, a bsc, an ma and a phd. as long as you get the right help for either - and my unis were amazing - they'll be fine!

dislexicicecream · 29/09/2006 19:43

hiya
im 25 and disbraxic it hasnt stoped me to much in life, i admitt i dont drive (wood be a god send if i could) any ways i am a stay home mum with 3 kids and ok some things r a pain like i walk into things alot and get through alot of plates ,cups ,glasses, but i think us disbraxics just learn to do things in OUR own way.i guess it is like a cat that has 3 legs it can still walk just diffrently to the outher cats but to the cat it is normal cos its all it has known right?

tallulah · 30/09/2006 09:36

Hi Pepsi. I had the same worries as you when DS1 was dx dyspraxic at 5. He is now 19, has just passed his A levels and has just started a degree in Marine Engineering at Strathclyde university.

He has been taking driving lessons- in an automatic car because he really couldn't manage the gears. Unfortunately he failed his first test but he's going to retake it.

He was in the top sets all the way through school and got a really impressive set of GCSE results. He had a nice little group of friends, most of whom he is still in touch with. I must say he looks "odd" and hung out with other odd looking kids, but he enjoyed school and was happy there.

He actually went to ballet from the age of 10 until he left for uni and although he was never going to be the next Nureyev it obviously did him some good in terms of co-ordination and strength.

He's also had a Saturday job at McD's for the last 2 years, which gave him a lot of confidence.

See, it's not the end of the world

dmo · 30/09/2006 09:42

i boy i know is 30 now and has his own landscaping bussiness

mumeeee · 02/10/2006 22:44

My 14 year old is dyspraxic. She did experience some bullying in high school but this has now been sorted out. She has improved as she has got older and is capable of catching the bus to school on her own. Today was a short day at school, as there was an open day for year 6's. My DD managed to get herself home by 2pm and then go back to school for 4.30 as she was doing an audition for Grease ( the musical the school will be doing in the spring) and it was part of one of the open day activities. She then got herself home again at 6.30 colected aome money from her Dad and went off to Drama club. She would not have ben able to do this last year.
She is in year 10 and has started her GSCE Courses. She still has a clas room assistant in some subjects and needs help to get somethings written down. She still needs help getting aorganised and sorting her homework out. She also acts like a much younger child at times buut at the same time is dertermined do her best.
I am mildly dyspraxic ( was known as a clumsy child ) and I am able to hold a job down and run a house. It does take me a bit longer to do housework then others but I get it done.
Well I hope thi all helps.

FioFio · 03/10/2006 08:15

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FioFio · 03/10/2006 08:15

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CaptainDippy · 03/10/2006 09:31

Hey pepsi! My foster sis is severely dyspraxic - she is now 22, she lives in London with her boyfriend who is lovely and she has a successful career as a nursery school nurse in a big nursery in Wandsworth. She is v.happy and fulfilled! If you are concerned - push for a diagnosis!!

Original poster

pepsi · 03/10/2006 19:39

Thanks to everyone who posted here. Reading positive threads really does comfort me a great deal. More positive threads all round I think.

OP posts:

Pollybloodyanna · 03/10/2006 19:43

I'm pretty sure my dh is dyspraxic (my ds is and dh is very similar). He has done very well career wise - he has to have his own secretary to do all of the organising stuff which he seems incapable of doing. (also I do most of the organising at home - very convenient for him! but he does just seem to forget to do stuff)

He is crap at sport, but that isn't important anymore, his handwriting is also crap, but again that doesn't matter. He does have a few problems socially, but it hasn't stopped him having friends etc.

I really think (hope) that if you can get them through school then it is alot less of a problem when grown-up.

CaptainPlump · 03/10/2006 19:52

My sister is dispraxic, and while I never had any idea of this until a few years ago when she was diagnosed she's known most of her life that something was "wrong". It hasn't stopped her though - she's got an MA in illustration and a teaching qualification and is happy, fit and healthy. Also, she got a free computer when she was at Uni because of it!

UniSarah · 03/10/2006 21:50

I'm dyslexic (no formal dyspraxic dx tho) and things do get better, getting out of school was a significant thing in my life as in teh real world very few people care that you can't write straight, do your laces in a hurry or catch a ball.
I have 9 resoanable GCSEs and 2 A levels and a City and guilds in Electrical installation , I had extra time in exams to keep my writing readable.

now as an adult I have chosen to learn to juggle,( I'm not good at it but I like the social side) , unicycle ( I AM good at it but it took a while) and keep score for cricket matches ( I really have to concentrate on that one, buts its strangely relaxing). NOT things I would have been expected to have shown an interest in as an 11 year old who couldn't throw or catch a ball or remember there own phone number.
Actully I still only KNOW 3 phone numbers now, but my mobile has all the numbers I need in it so who cares.

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