Question re Dyspraxia

[MetalMummy]

Hi, I need a bit of advice. My DS is 5 and was diagnosed with Dyspraxia a year ago. About 3 months ago he started talking a lot about Sonic and Mario, it has got to the stage now where it is literally all he talks about. He won't talk about anything else at all.
Is this something to do with the Dyspraxia? is it normal behaviour for a 5yr old? (although my other 2 kids never did anything like this) or could it be something else?
Thanks, MM

my dd who is now 14 has Dyspraxia and she did tend to get really envoled with topics when i asked about it the doc said that it could be down to low self confdents that the dyspraxia can cause its there way of getting away from it

Or, just as a thought, a reasonable number of children are dxd with dyspraxia and the parents later discover they also have ASD (the two are quite often linked). I have ASD but dyspraxic tendencies, and it would have been easy for a doc to have dxd one but not the other.

What's he like socially? Relaxed, lots of friends, enjoys surprise parties and changes of routine, makes really meaningful expressive eye contact, can easily tell what someone's mood is?

How is he with play? Easy-going, sensible, doesn't mind children messing about with his things?

My dd (8) also has dyspraxia, but we found that there were other issues tied in with. She now also has dx of Sensory Processing Disorder,OCD and a non-verbal communication disorder. She obsesses about her collection of catalogues

It may be worth having a word with your GP,to see if your ds needs a referral to child development centre.
You may find it is all linked to his dyspraxia, but at least your mind would be at rest. Good luck.

I think it probably is linked to the Dyspraxia, in so far as there is an overlap (to varying extents) with Aspergers.

My DS2 is Dyspraxic "with Aspergic tendencies" (the paediatrician's words) and has poor social skills - doesn't pick up on non-verbal signals etc, and has run through a number of obsessions along the years (he's nearly 11). With him it is aircraft and Formula 1; I know way more about them than I ever needed to . I'm sure in time Sonic and Mario will be replaced by something else - hopefully something more interesting.

He does have friends (he does prefer girls though), lately he gets very upset if other children mess with his things. He does make eye contact and will often turn my face towards his so that we do make eye contact. He likes skin to skin contact, so if he is sitting next to me he will rub his cheek up and down my arm, ot he will rub his hand on my arm. If he is on my knee he will put his cheek neext to mine. He does seem very young for his age and this is getting more obvious as he gets older.
He doesn't like to play outside with his brother and sister much, but I think that's partly because he physically can't keep up with them, the other day he cam in after just 5mins because he said he kept falling off his scooter and he was fed up with it.
When DS was diagnosed with Dyspraxia the paediatrician referred him to OT and then discharged him saying that there was nothing more he could do because intellectually DS was fine, should I be contacting the paed about this or is there somebody else I should talk to? or do I just leave it and see what happens?

We do tend to be rather obsessive. I still have phases of obsessions and can talk about them for hours, though I do talk about other things too.

If he will talk about nothing else, and is extremely obsessed though I would wonder about him possibly being on the autistic spectrum too.

I wouldn't be at all happy with your paed. We aren't stupid fgs. That isn't why we need help. I'd demand that he sees the OT again.

I was only diagnosed with dyspraxia 2 years ago and I think if I'd been diagnosed earlier, then early intervention with OT appointments would have been a huge help, and that my motor control and skills would be considerably better than they are now.

Well, if it were me, I'd be having another chat with the GP and see if the developmental paed could have another look. Just to be sure. If it is just "dyspraxia with a wee bit of ASD but nothing too major to need another dx" great.
But that degree of obsession, combined with a worry about people moving his stuff and his tendency to be very touch-positive and quite young for his age is intriguing, I'd say?

I'd keep an eye on it for now, but if he increasingly shows asd type symptoms it might be worth going back. My ds1 has dyspraxia and also social and communication difficulties. If you look on the dyspraxia foundations website, the list of symptoms are very similar to that of autism.

My ds1 would probably love yours to bits - His current obsession is mario kart! I did eventually get to the point where I MADE him to other things, because I was getting worried as to the extent of his obsession. I'm not sure I beleive the low self esteem thing at all.

Also, think it was a bit harsh of the paed to discharge him altogether, especially with him still being a bit young. Might be worth asking them to reconsider at least keeping him on the books so that the paed is available on an as and when needed basis.

We've decided to go to the GP and see what he says, hopefully we'll get an appointment for Mon or Tues next week (DH is off then).
Thanks for all the responses, I can honestly say that I learn more from this forum than I do from any Health Professional