I started this page on September 17th 1998 it was Dyspraxia awareness week. My reasons for the page is that my oldest son Jake is dyspraxic. Dyspraxia is caused by the failure of the neurones in the brain to develop correctly. This failure of the neurones to form adequate connections means that the brain takes longer to process information and there is a greater likelihood of the brain losing the suggestion and the child therefore failing to respond to requests given to him.

Children who suffer from Dyspraxia are often awkward, clumsy, and have very poor short term memories...In Jake's case he was very unlucky he has motor dyspraxia as well as speech dyspraxia,he is going to be 11 on the 22nd September, but has the speech of an 18 month old (almost a year has past since starting the page and he has not improved in his speech) Jake is a child that loves to play sport but has very little ability,he finds it very difficult to co ordinate his body, I have found a wonderful site on Dyspraxia, one that has helped me cope with Jake's disability I will add it to this page for those who are interested, or perhaps feel they may know someone who has a child that fits this description, often childern with Dyspraxia are overlooked as being lazy or just clumsy. It is a very real disability in fact because the children look so normal they miss out on alot of help.. We were very lucky with Jake, my husband and I feared right from the start that there was something wrong so we persisted until we found someone who knew about dyspraxia. Jake was 2 years old when he was diagnosed, it was almost a relief to know what he had......we could then start to deal with it. And deal with it we did, endless physiotherapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy that often resulted in little or no gains, but we persisted. The most important thing to me in life is to be happy, confident and in a childs case respected by his or her peers. Jake has all that and a hell of alot more.He is emotionally and socially well balanced what more could a mum or dad ask for?

Here I have listed the most common problems of dyspraxic children, it is not a rare condtion, just one that has gone unnoticed, I think promoting awareness will help not only Jake but all affected children and their parents Dyspraxia affects at least 2 people in every 100. 7 in every 10 affected are male. Dyspraxia is a disability, with no cure, but the earlier a chld is diagnosed the greater the chance of improvenment, Jake may not speak very clearly or be able to read and write or achieve many physical feats, but he has great self esteem, and is a very happy social little boy with lots of friends.

Clumsiness Poor posture Walk awkwardly Confused about which hand to use. Sensitive to touch Find some clothes uncomfortable Poor short term menory, they often forget tasks learnt the previous day Poor body awareness Reading and writting difficulties Cannot hold a pen or pencil properly Slow to learn to dress or feed themselves Cannot answer simple questions even though they know the answers Speech problems, slow to learn to speak or speech may be incoherent Phobias or obsessive behaviour Cannot hop, skip or ride a bike Impatience Intolerance to having hair or teeth brushed, or nails and hair cut Plasters are too uncomfortable to wear Movements are hard to learn, hard to remember, and are used hesitantly and awkwardly Have problems in planning and organising thoughts

Heavens Very Special Child A meeting was held, quite far from earth "It's time again for another birth" Said the Angels to the Lord above, "This special child will need much love" His progress may seem very slow, Accomplishments he may not show And he'll require extra care From all the folks he meets down there. He may not run or laugh or play His thoughts may seem quite far away In many ways he won't adapt, And he'll be known as handicapped. So let's be careful where he's sent We want his life to be content Please, Lord, find the right parents who Will do this special job for You. They will not realize right away The leading role they're asked to play But with this child sent from above Comes stronger faith and richer love. And soon they'll know the privilege given In caring for this gift from Heaven. Their precious charge, so meek and mild Is heaven's very special child. Author Unknown

Below I have listed a few sites that I found interesting, one in particular explains the disability in a childs words..I hope one day that children with dyspraxia can be helped.But I also believe that we can all help each other, if you know a family with a child that fits this description or a child that has actually been diagnosed as Dyspraxic, I would love to hear from them, or maybe they would appreciate having someone to talk to.

A Day in the Life of a Dyspraxic school boy.

The Dyspraxia Foundation

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