What is dyspraxia?
Because of Dr Moyes’ support of the Education Amendment (Educational Support For Children With Significant Learning Difficulties) Bill 2008 which requires schools to offer assistance to children with learning disabilities, our office has had inquiries from constituents about the neurologically-based, developmental disability known as Dyspraxia. The information for this article has been gathered to educate both our readers and ourselves about this lifelong learning disability.
The word dyspraxia comes from the Greek, with dys meaning ‘impaired’ and praxis meaning ‘action’ or ‘deed’. Dyspraxia is present from birth, and is a motor planning disorder. The problem is not in the musculature of the body, but in the part of the brain that decides what the body should do. That is, a child knows what he or she wants their body to do but cannot get their body to respond to the instruction.
Dyspraxia affects up to 10% of the population with about 70% of cases being males. It does not affect intelligence; in fact, they may have average or above average intelligence. However, because it can impact severely the behavioural and social skills it can have a devastating affect socially. As this is almost a ‘hidden’ handicap, meaning there are no ‘visual clues’ that someone is suffering from it, there is no adjustment of social expectation. That lack of advance warning can lead to misunderstanding, frustration or anger in people who do not know how to regard the behaviour of the child with dyspraxia.
There are 3 types of dyspraxia: oral, verbal and motor. A child can have one, two or all three types together and in a range of severity. ‘Oral Dyspraxia’ is a difficulty with planning and executing non-speech sounds such as blowing, sucking, or individual tongue and lip movements. As a result this can affect speech and swallowing skills. A child with this form of dyspraxia may have special difficulty licking an ice-cream cone, dribble saliva uncontrollably, or have a preference for soft or hard textured foods, whatever they personally find easiest to control.
‘Verbal Dyspraxia’ is a speech disorder that affects the programming, sequencing and initiating of movements required to make speech sounds. Children with this form of dyspraxia may be unintelligible when they try to speak, simplify words by saying only the first part of them, have inconsistent speech patterns, reverse the sounds, exhibit searching movements of the tongue and lips as they try to find the right position to make a sound, and use gestures extensively to try to compensate for lack of language.
‘Motor Dyspraxia’ is the difficulty with planning, sequencing then executing the correct movement to perform age appropriate skills in a smooth and coordinated manner at well or on command. Children with this form may have difficulty learning a new skill, coordinating movement, handwriting, timing and rhythm, learning rules, responding quickly, problem solving, using appropriate cues, analysing what is needed for task performance, etc.
The earlier dyspraxia is recognised and treated the better the outcome for the child, but there are difficulties in recognition and diagnosis. If you have children who demonstrate these behaviours seek a medical opinion from your GP who can refer you on to specialists. The earlier that appropriate physiotherapy is started the better the outcome will be.
‘School Learning Support Officers’ are employed in mainstream NSW schools, support units and special schools to assist the 30,000 children with specific needs who have been identified. These Learning Support Officers are a fundamental part of schools and provide crucial support to the teachers, as well as helping students from kindergarten through high school reach their full potential. The students deserve all the support they can get, but many have none at all because of lack of sufficient government funding, staff and resources. And the provision of Learning Support Officers does not apply to children with learning disabilities attending private schools.
There is a charitable organisation, the Australian Dyspraxia Association Inc, that exists to help people understand Dyspraxia better by raising community awareness, offering a HELP-line, initiating and maintaining parent support groups, developing self-help programs for parents and volunteers, providing therapy services, identifying gaps in services available, and a number of other services.
For more information about this issue please see http://www.dyspraxia.com.au