Dyspraxia and me

I rarely talk about this publicly, but I wanted to share my story. I was diagnosed with a condition called dyspraxia at the age of 9 years old. You might be questioning what it is so I will try to explain.

Dyspraxia, sometimes known as Developmental Coordination Disorder or DCD for short, is a lifelong condition which can affect your co-ordination skills – such as tasks requiring balance, playing sports or learning to drive a car – and your fine motor skills, such as writing or using small objects. I sometimes describe it as dyslexia's clumsy cousin.

People with dyspraxia, like other neurodiverse conditions, may also have difficulty with their perception which affects how they interpret what they see, hear, feel and sense. People with dyspraxia can also have difficulties with judging time, speed and distances.

When I was diagnosed, I had just 8.5% of the level of coordination that he should have had at that age.

I remember my parents taking me for these tests and then being told I am a person with dyspraxia. My first question was “am I going to die?”.

Being diagnosed young, I was fortunate enough to be able to get some support and develop coping strategies around general coordination but for me now, its more around how I approach certain situations such as planning a project or organising my time. 

People can often think about what a person cannot do when it comes to a disability but from my experience supporting with the Dyspraxia Foundation and having met other people with dyspraxia at work, I can see there are huge strengths.

People with dyspraxia often demonstrate incredible amounts of creative and strategic thinking which helps with problem-solving. We are often more determined and hard-working due to having to overcome our challenges because we’re been able to develop our own strategies to overcome difficulties.

I really like the below image that focuses on the strengths of what people with neurodiverse conditions bring, as well as those with dyspraxia.

Today, I became a Trustee of the Dyspraxia Foundation and delighted to be able to support Eleanor Howes with advancing the inclusion and diversity within the charity.

If you're interested in learning more, feel free to connect with me or take a look at the Dyspraxia Foundation website as there is a wealth of resources available to people.