August 2009 - Ask me anything
"Will dyspraxia hold my
son back?"
My seven-year-old son has always struggled at school. He's not
naughty, but has trouble paying attention and writing. Now he has
been diagnosed with dyspraxia. I've never heard of it and we
are devastated.
We have an appointment to see someone arranged by the school but
I'm finding it hard to stay cheerful. My husband says it will
be fine, which irritates me because he knows no more than me. I
worry that he will be left behind as his sisters and younger
brother forge ahead and I wonder if it's somehow my fault.
Geraldine
DENISE SAYS: It's not your fault and it's
not all doom and gloom either. Dyspraxia is
an immaturity in the way that the brain processes information,
which results in messages not being properly transmitted. It is
thought to affect up to ten per cent of the population but only two
per cent severely. Males are four times more likely to be affected
than females. It is probable that there is at least one dyspraxic
child in every classroom but you're lucky in that the diagnosis
has been made early, which gives more time for a child to achieve
its potential. Until recently I was President of the Dyspraxia
Foundation so I know the wonderful work they do and the strides
being made in ways of dealing with the condition. Contact their
Helpline on 01462 454 986 (10am-1pm) Mon-Fri.
I've watched the son of a friend, diagnosed as a child, benefit
from proper support and treatment. Today he is a happy, confident
young man embarking on an apprenticeship.
To read more from Denise Robertson please join.
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