Definition of dyspraxia

Dyspraxia is a movement disorder based on brain function. This disorder affects gross and elementary motor skills, motor planning and coordination.

This disorder is not related to intelligence, but it can sometimes affect cognitive skills. Dyspraxia is sometimes also used with the term developmental coordination disorder. Children with dyspraxia may be late in reaching age-appropriate milestones. They also have problems with balance and coordination.

During adolescence and adulthood, symptoms of dyspraxia can lead to learning difficulties and low self-esteem. Dyspraxia is a lifelong condition and there is currently no cure for it, but there are methods that can help you effectively manage the disorder.

Symptoms of dyspraxia in children

If your child has dyspraxia, you may notice a delay in developmental cues such as lifting the head, rolling over, and sitting up.

Other signs and symptoms of this disorder can include the following:

Abnormal body position
General irritability
Sensitivity to loud noises
Eating and sleeping problems
High level of movement of arms and legs
As your baby grows, you may notice delays in:

to crawl
to walk
learning
eating
dressing up
Dyspraxia makes it difficult to organize body movements. For example, a child may want to walk the length of the living room with his school books, but if he has this disorder, he cannot do so without slipping, bumping into something, or dropping the books.

Other signs and symptoms may include:

Difficulty with fine motor skills that affects writing, art work, playing with Legos, and puzzles
Coordination problems that make it difficult to jump, run, or catch a ball
Shaking hands, jerking arms or legs, or easily irritable
Difficulty eating or drinking
immorality
Poor physical fitness (because they avoid physical activities)
Although intelligence is not affected in this disorder, dyspraxia can make learning and socializing difficult:

Not having enough focus and attention on the subjects
Difficulty following or remembering instructions
Lack of organizational skills
Difficulty learning new skills
low self-esteem
Immature behavior
Problems related to friendship with others

Symptoms of dyspraxia in adults

Abnormal state of the body
Balance and movement problems or gait abnormalities
Poor hand-eye coordination
tiredness
Difficulty in learning new skills, in organizing and planning, in writing or using mobile and computer keyboards
Having problems with cleaning and housework
Social anxiety or lack of confidence

Dyspraxia vs Apraxia

Although the two terms sound similar and both refer to conditions related to brain function, dyspraxia and apraxia are not the same.

Dyspraxia is a problem that a person is born with, while apraxia can develop following a stroke or brain injury at any stage of life. (Although certain types of apraxia may have a genetic origin.)

There are different types of apraxia that affect different motor functions. This symptom is usually thought to be a neurological, metabolic or other type of disorder. Apraxia may resolve on its own within a few weeks, especially if it is the result of a stroke.

Dyspraxia can be related to changes in the way nerve cells grow in the brain. This affects how the brain sends messages to the rest of the body. Because of this, it is difficult for a person to plan a series of movements and then perform them successfully.

Risk factors for dyspraxia

Dyspraxia is more common in men than women. This is also related to genetic origins.

Risk factors for developmental coordination disorders

• premature birth
  
• Low birth weight
• Drug or alcohol consumption by the mother during pregnancy
• Family history of developmental coordination disorders

Diagnosis of dyspraxia

The doctor reviews factors such as: medical history, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, developmental milestones, and mental abilities, and then makes a final decision. There is still no specific medical test to diagnose dyspraxia.

Diagnosis of the disorder by the doctor may be done by observing the following:

Motor skills are significantly lower than expected for age
Lack of motor skills has a persistent negative impact on daily activities
Symptoms started early in the child’s development
Other disorders with similar symptoms have been ruled out or diagnosed

Treatment of dyspraxia

Dyspraxia is often misdiagnosed as Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). For a small number of children, symptoms go away on their own as they get older. There is no cure for dyspraxia. However, with the right methods, people with dyspraxia can manage their symptoms and learn how to improve their abilities.