Anyone with experience of dyspraxia or global dev delay?

[Saker]

Follow up from "worried about autism thread" in behaviour / development section

I am just posting this here instead of in the development section to see if there is anyone who can give me advice about dyspraxia and global developmental delay.

Saw the paed yesterday about ds2 and gave him a list of his behaviours that worried me. His opinion was that he was just behaving like a younger child (about age 2, ds1 is not far off 3) and that he probably has a global delay, although we will get a proper assessment from the clinical psychologist to see where he actually is in terms of different skills. I asked if he could be on the autistic spectrum but the paed thought it was unlikely. I also asked our portage worker the other day and she said he didn't seem like he was in her experience. I have to say that my gut feeling is that he is not autistic also, he interacts well, he doesn't really have tantrums (only little ones), he points plenty now, he has some imaginative play.

The global delay idea does make quite a lot of sense in terms of his behaviour although I do think that his language is more advanced than a 2y old as he speaks in full sentences with correct use of pronouns. Does a child with global delay just seem like a younger child or are there other differences in their behaviour?

I asked the paed if he could be dyspraxic, he said it was possible but too early to make a diagnosis of dyspraxia. Is there anyone here with a dyspraxic child who could tell me what they were like when they were younger?

my daughter has a moderate global development delay.

I would say from experience that they do act like a younger child than their peers. I think the unusual behaviours can fit because some aspects of the childs development can be more advanced than others but still behind.

Have you been offered a full asssessment?

my friends son is dyspraxic and they wouldnt diagnose til four, he was classed as having a global delay until then HTH

Thanks a lot - that's useful to know. It looks like it could be difficult to tell at this stage. He should get a full assessment from the clinical psychologist, so perhaps that will clarify things a bit.

Fio2,

Do many children with a global develomental delay catch up or will they always be further behind?

I dont know. I think it varies. My friends daughter had a mild global delay and she is 6 now and still struggles sometimes but is not delayed as such. My daughter seems to be getting more delayed compared to her peers but she has microcephaly aswell (small brain) so this is most probably why. When he has a full assessment just ask their opinion and they will tell you what they think

Dd1 was born with 2 heart defects, hydrocephalus, and had GDD. She didn't walk until she was 2, but was always ahead in speech and language, although she did have a ST from the age of 9 m along with a PT. She did catch up and is now, aged 12, like every other child of her age, pretty much.

Ds2 is physically delayed from cerebral palsy, but is way ahead of his terms of speech and language. When ds was diagnosed with cp, the paediatrician tried to tell us it was GDD instead, but I said imo that infers only a temporary delay, which could be overcome iyswim, whereas cp is a permanent thing. At this point she agreed then said it was in fact cp. Hth.

Oh lou if only I could get a paed to say that!!

I think we put her in the position wherby she couldn't deny it Fio. I was so concerout ds2, and had been since he was about 7 or 8 months old, He was 16 m old, and lying on his stomach on the grass, and he couldn't do anything, not even roll. I called her up and said I think ds2 has cp, tell me why you you disagree, and if you do disagree tell me what you think is wrong instead? As I said , she told me gdd at first, but then admitted that it was cp. And yes, she told me on the phone, 5 mins before I had to go and get dd2 from school, and dh had gone to get dd1 from hers, so I was on my own in a whirl, with ds1 and ds2, walking to get dd2 with my head full of questions . Actually I think she only told me then because she knew we were moving counties, and the cash to provide for ds2 and his disabilities would be funded by someone else.

Sorry about typos, pc is playing up.

"whereby"

"concerned about"

LOU ((())) that must have been so hard for you

Pretty much sums up the whole attitude of Luton services imo. The difference from there and here is amazing.

(apart from wheelchair services, and the fact I still haven't heard from ss about grants for expanding into the loft, so ds2 can have a separate physio room )

how strange we have the opposite here SS cant give you enough stuff everything is wank

everything else is wank that should say!!

The only woman I have spoken to at ss has now left, but was so clueless she actually sounded stoned.

Stoned I don't mind, but I do when i am trying to sort out stuff regarding ds2!

Whats Global Delay, my ds age 4 has just seen pead, re: pos dyspraxia, poor socialisation, motor skills, etc. Not heard of global delay so perhaps someone can explain.

it means that the child is delayed in ALL areas of development. Gross motor/Fine Motor/speech and language/Social (sorry cant think of any more) but generally slower at everything

delayed at play skills too I remembered!

Is global delay something that is treated, I mean do kids catch up or are they always behind in some way. What do they do to help? So many people seem to have children suffering from these symptons.

I think it depends on what is causing the delay. I interperet it to mean a temproary but maybe long tern thing, not necessarily forever though. Dd1 was delayed in most things but speech and language, but has now overcome those. Ds2 is unlikely to overcome his physical disabilities though, which is why he isn't developmentally delayed, but disabled.

I was always under the impression that they cant say whether a global delay can be long term or short term. I am assuming in my daughters case she will NEVER 'catch' up as such. I was also under the impression that it is a term the use now for suspecting learning disablities in younger children.

I think global delay is a term they sometimes use if they can't come up with any other diagnosis . I agree Fio2, in some kids it could be being used to suggest learning disability, only they don't want to say that for whatever reason. In theory a child with GDD should catch up. After all, if your plane is delayed, you do expect it to land sometime!

I agree HITC, I think they have to have a label of some sort. Dd2 (age 3) has GDD but no other diagnosis.

pepsi, they cannot specifically treat the GDD, but can use therapies to try to encourage the child to develop as much as possible ie speech therapy or physiotherapy, portage (play therapy) etc. It is a long, slow process.

I hope with my dd that it is a delay ie we hope she will eventually learn to walk and talk although probably not for some years, but I am under no illusions that she will ever catch up with her peers. So while it is a delay, it is also a disability - that's how I see it anyway.

Going back to Saker's original post, my DS1 is dyspraxic. He wasn't diagnosed until he was 5 (he is now 16.5) but I knew there was something wrong from about 1 year.

He was/is terribly clumsy. He was always falling over and walking into things. We spent many evenings up at casualty!! He has a problem with both fine & gross co-ordination & was left handed from babyhood (which I'm told is part of the syndrome & not as well as). He hated his head being touched, & there were lots of things he wouldn't wear (or eat) because they didn't feel right. Once he was walking properly he had a really odd gait- one shoulder higher than the other & kind of twisted over. Then he had all manner of odd facial tics & grimaces.

Most of his physical problems we got sorted out with cranial osteopathy, which he has been going to regularly since he was about 7.

TBH he still looks odd & dresses oddly as well & not like a normal 16 yo (he prefers short sleeved proper shirts & cardigans to T shirts & sweatshirts). Think geek

My ds2 was diagnosed at age of 8 main symptons similar to Talulahs, in additions was allergic to cows milk and had severe speech delay, it was a battle to get him diagnosed though.Talulah how are you finding these teen years? my ds2 is thirteen now and we are finding it really difficult.