‘Dyspraxia (DCD) & Adult
Diagnosis’ by Dyslexia Tiby © 2016
Diagnosis of dyspraxia in adults
is far harder to detect/diagnose… why is this? As we go through life, we
find ways to compensate in many areas that would highlight balance
co-ordination and processing and we can avoid tasks that bring about problems
for adults with dyspraxia. Competition is one area, children tend to either
get, or want to be, involved in sport during school time or with friends,
adults can avoid sports if they wish and it goes almost unnoticed as is so
often not the case when young.
We mature slower than most around
us, however as others slow we catch up.
We tend to have greater levels of
concentration and are more aware when carrying out tasks that require a greater
focus, we also improve our short term memory (building a structure) over time
and this helps improve our processing speed and reaction time.
It’s also important to understand
that dyspraxia has a wide spectrum and affects many in a variety of ways, this can
also vary from mild to severe.
There are online tests, which I
must add are only a first pointer before seeking a professional diagnosis.
You may have had a child, niece or nephew recently diagnosed and noticed
similarities with yourself.
There are professionals/psychologists
in the UK that can diagnose adults, although I believe this not to be the case
in Ireland, as is the same with qualifications. There are many that work in
this field, in particular those that are qualified fitness Trainers (gross motor),
OT and SPLT and there are many that support academic areas such as dyslexia,
dysgraphia and dyscalculia. You can contact us for advice and names of
professionals who work in these areas as we have contacts across several
countries.
Dyspraxia affects basic motor
skills - Gross (such as walking, sitting upright and balance) and Fine motor
skills which include many things (such as writing or picking up small objects),
in children as well as adults. This is something that will last for life
and it is recognised by many international organisations, including the WHO
(World Health Organisation). We take Dyspraxia to our end and that is the same
with our close cousin dyslexia. The secret is learning to cope and work around
these.
As an adult, we find that DCD can
affect so many things… learning to drive, dancing, playing sport, further
education, employment and even relationships.
This can be as a result of being
over anxious, frightened of failure and through a general lack of
self-belief/confidence and also through poor organisation skills.
It can also bring about language
problems and this can be exacerbated through increased anxiety or pressure… we
can often throw out random words or indeed full sentences and can also have
problems with voice control, including volume, speed and pitch. We also
have a tendency to interrupt others and often have to apologise for cutting in
on conversation (due to slow processing speed).
Dyspraxia never goes away but we
can learn how to cope with it. If you think you may have dyspraxia and
want to follow it up, perhaps as a result of a family member being diagnosed
and you may recognise similar traits in yourself, given that it is
often present or can run in families, first check with your GP.
You can also contact an Educational
Psychologist or Occupational Therapist that specialises in dyspraxia... in
Ireland you can check with the Psychological Society of Ireland. If you
are in the United States, we have contacts over there that can provide further
details.
Dyspraxia is relatively new when
compared to dyslexia, however new research is coming to the fore, which is
leading to improved diagnosis and the availability of resources. It’s an area
well worth keeping an eye on, so you are up to date with the disorder.
All our articles are for guidance
only, we strongly recommend obtaining professional advice with regards to any
concerns you might have on a given subject Dyslexia Toby © 2016
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