Dyspraxia | Cerebral Palsy
Dyspraxia
used to be called "Clumsy Child Syndrome" and in its very simplest terms, that
is what it manifests itself as. It is caused by an immaturity of the brain resulting
in messages not being properly transmitted to the body. It affects at least 2%
of the population in varying degrees and 70% of those affected are male. Dyspraxics
can be of any degreee of intelligence - from below average to well above - but
are often behaviourally immature. They try hard to fit in to the socally accepted
behaviour when at school but often throw tantrums when at home. They may find
it difficult to understand logic and reason. The most obvious symptom, however,
is extreme clumsiness : Dyspraxics may experience the following symptoms and problems
:
- general clumsiness
- poor posture
- clumsy or awkward walking
- confused about which hand to use
- poor body awareness
- poor sense of direction
- cannot throw or catch a ball properly
- cannot hop, skip or ride a bike
- very sensitive to touch
- find some clothes uncomfortable
- dislike having hair or teeth brushed, or nails
and hair cut
- sticking plasters are too uncomfortable to wear
- poor short term memory, they often forget tasks
learned the previous day
- reading and writing difficulties
- cannot hold a pen or pencil properly
- slow to learn to dress or feed themselves
- cannot answer simple questions even though they
know the answers
- speech problems - slow to learn to speak or
incoherent speech
- phobias or obsessive behaviour
- unusually impatient
Not all children with dyspraxia
will have all these symptoms - in fact, it would be very unusual to find ALL
of these problems in one individual. Similarly, children who are NOT dyspraxic
may have some of these problems, and indeed some could be symptoms of a different
disorder, but a combination of them should indicate that further investigation
is called for and parents of a dyspraxic child, even if not diagnosed, will
know that their child is "different."
These is no cure for dyspraxia but the earlier a child is treated then the greater
the chance of improvement. Occupational therapists, physiotherapists and extra
help at school can all help a dyspraxic child to cope or overcome many difficulties.
A lot of the skills that we take for granted will never become automatic to
a dyspraxic and they will have to be taught.
Cerebral Palsy
(CP) is a group of disorders whose major feature is brain damage. In most cases
this damage occurs before/during or shortly after birth and can be due to a
variety of causes. This brain damage is characterized by an inability to control
motor function, either partially or completely. Depending on exactly what part
of the brain is damaged and how badly, a child with CP may be unable to walk
or walk only with aids, may be unable to speak or speak very indistinctly, and
may make random, involuntary movements. Intellectual ability varies as with
the rest of the population and is not necessarily directly related to the degree
or type of brain damage. About 25% of individuals with CP also have some degree
of learning disability, but the range of intellect ranges from severe learning
disability to genius level.
About half of all children with CP also suffer from seizures which in most cases
are not dangerous, but nevertheless are alarming if they occur in the classroom
and the teacher and pupils are unprepared.
Cerebral Palsy can also be caused by a brain injury such as a fall down stairs
or a car accident, but when this is the cause it is more commonly called Traumatic
Brain Injury, especially when the damage occurs after the age of 3 years.
CP is not a disease or illness. It isn't contagious and it doesn't get worse,
but it is not something you "grow out of." Children who have CP will have it
all their lives. There should be no reason why a child with CP and of a normal
intelligence, or with slight to moderate learning problems, should not be able
to be educated in a mainstream school alongside his/her peers. If the child
has serious mobility problems then the school may have to address the problem
of physical access - ramps, handrails, toilets etc. - and will probably have
to employ a non-teaching assistant to support the child on a one-to-one basis;
children with CP will almost invariably have a Statement of Special Educational
Need which will go some way towards securing extra funding.
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