Dyspraxia (or DCD - developmental co-ordination disorder) is an immaturity of the organisation of movement in the brain, resulting in incomplete transmission of messages from there to other parts of the body
The term dyspraxia comes from the word praxis, which means 'doing, acting'. Dyspraxia affects the planning of what to do and how to do it.
Difficulty understanding messages from the brain and relating them to actions can give rise to challenge with:
- The process of forming ideas
- Motor planning and execution
and associated challenges with:
- Language
- Perception
- Thought
Dyspraxia affects each person in different ways and at different stages of development.
Physical activities can be more challenging to learn and to retain, and be hesitant / awkward in performance.
Children with dyspraxia may:
- Be late in reaching physical milestones
- Be delayed in their speech and language may be late to develop or impaired
- Struggle with maths and writing stories
- Avoid games, struggle with dressing and tying shoelaces
- Find personal organisation challenging
- Struggle with concentration, memory and following multi-step instructions
Our students receive holistic support for their dyspraxia through 1:1 therapy sessions and across our skills-based curriculum. Our provision is designed to meet the needs of dyspraxics with, for example, short, chunked learning activities, creation of memory hooks, support with planning and sequencing, development of fine and gross motor skills