What is Dyspraxia – A Short Commentary
What is Dyspraxia? Is it a disability? or a learning difficulty? Or is it both?
The first thing to say here is that as we all know is that disability neither has to be physical nor visible. But when it comes to Dyspraxia it exists with other neurodiverse conditions and other disabilities – and it does not affect intelligence.
But I’m looking at my card as purchased from Dyspraxia Magazine right now and it says quite clearly “Hidden Disability”. And yet I have always shied away from describing myself as a disabled person. The word seems, wrongly synonymous with the use of a wheelchair or the use of an aid to get around.
Side 1 of the card says
“My disability causes trouble with:
- Co-ordination and balance
- Tracking and moving objects”
- Planning and organisation
- Spatial awareness
- Speech, writing and eating
- Ability to process new information
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- & more…”
No two people who have Dyspraxia experience it in the same way. My experiences with Dyspraxia are thus. I either have very mild symptoms or I have them badly depending on how tired I am and how far I have pushed myself with work. but they tend to be the neurological side of things where I find it hard to process new audio information and follow instructions. I need things written down for me and I tend to do better when I’m able to read from an email or a text message.
I find it hard to articulate myself on a day-to-day basis in that I donat always know how to convert my thoughts into speech.
And my short-term memory is very very poor especially when I’m asked a question. My brain can shut off my access to the answer very quickly even if it is a simple question. That certainly feels very disabling. It is energy and morale-sapping for my ability to work like other people.
So to finish this by asking again what is Dyspraxia? In simple terms, the other side of my Dyspraxia card, answers this by saying “… a neurological condition that affects the brain’s ability to process information, which results in disturbances in movements, planning, speech and learning new tasks/processing new information”.