Dyspraxia Developmental Coordination Disorder

Judy Turner

Ros Lehany

Content of Session

• What is dyspraxia?

• What impact might dyspraxia have on students?

• How do we identify dyspraxia in assessment?

• Support & recommendations

How might it feel to have dyspraxia?

Dyspraxia Definitions

• DSM-IV (2004) -DCD

• STEC Dyspraxia in draft

NHS Direct definition of dyspraxia

Dyspraxia = difficulty with actions• Dyspraxia, also known as developmental co-

ordination disorder, is a disability that affects movement and co-ordination. It is thought to be caused by a disruption in the way messages from the brain are transmitted to the body.

• Dyspraxia is characterised by difficulty in planning smooth, co-ordinated movements.

NHS Direct (continued)

This leads to:• Clumsiness • Lack of co-ordination• Problems with language, perception and thought

(NHS Direct, 2011).

Additional Difficulties

• Sequencing movements & actions

• Organisation and Time Management

• Multitasking

• Word finding /articulatory difficulties

• Time & space perception

• Turn taking in conversation (not ASD)

• Self confidence

• Mental health problems

In adults

• Motor difficulties often resolve over time

• Or not-

• 9 out of 10 children with dyspraxia have difficulties as an adult (NHS Direct 2011)

• Dyspraxic people may avoid sport … or may become professional dancers

Horrible slow handwriting

More …

Horrible fast handwriting

Messy margins

Iceberg analogy

The motor difficulties are just the tip of the iceberg.

The underlying cognitive difficulties persist beneath the surface

Co-morbidity

Dyspraxia is often found in students who also have:

• Dyslexia

• ADHD

• Specific Language Disorders – receptive or expressive

• Aspergers syndrome

What impact might dyspraxia have on your students’ academic studies?

1) essay writing

2) exam preparation

3) lecture note making

4) participating in seminars

5) time management

6) general organisation

Case studies

Case Study 1

• Joe -22 year old 3rd year student of Politics

• History of underachievement at school

• Extra help with handwriting in Junior school

• 1st time assessment

• Arrived an hour early so as not to be late

Joe -Academic difficultiesDifficulties with:• Time management

• All coursework late• Reading takes a long time – he does not know when to

stop• Planning essays v. difficult – fails to answer the Q• Spends more time working than friends

• Taking lecture notes• Contributing in seminars • Revision and TM in exams

Case Study 2• Jess -20 year old 2nd year student of

Contemporary Dance

• Problems with maths. Three grade As at A level.

• First assessment. Brother is severely dyspraxic

• Experienced difficulties in the first year – self referred

Jess -Academic difficultiesDifficulties with:

• Organisation• Always loses papers, documents, things• Misses appointments and tutorials

• Time management • Structuring essays ‘impossible’• Misjudges time tasks will take

• Explaining herself clearly and fluentlyBut recognised as a very able student who

produces high class work …eventually

Joe & Jessica….Dyspraxia? or are they just students with ……

•Inappropriate strategies for his academic work

•A tendency to procrastinate

•Studying the wrong subject

•Not very able

•Not trying hard enough

etc?

Results- literacy & IQ• Joe & Jess - above average at reading &

spelling

• Joe - slow handwriting for all tasks

Jess – average speed but largely illegible handwriting

• Joe - superior verbal ability & average to low average performance ability

Jess – above average verbal and visual ability

Jess- Specialist teacher report

• Above average phonological awareness

• Above average Reading Efficiency

• Weak information processing speed

• Weak working memory

• Weak Rapid Naming

Questionnaire

• Fine motor skills

• Gross motor skills

• Multitasking

• Organisation & Time management

• Spatial and temporal difficulties

• Speech difficulties

Enough evidence for dyspraxia: difficulties with fine and gross motor coordination, organisation, multitasking, spatial & temporal difficulties

A dyspraxic dancer?

….has particular skills and strengths in performing dance. Whilst there is no proven link between specific learning difficulties and creative talents it is clear that many dyslexic and dyspraxic adults have strong skills in these areas. Dyspraxic students who focus on dance or gymnastics and who practise at a very high level can succeed in dramatically improving their coordination skills; however the cognitive characteristics of dyspraxia – difficulties with planning, organisation, temporal and spatial perception - will always remain

Definition?

• Existing definitions are often too unspecific or too precise

• We need something that is helpful with a student population - STEC

• One way to achieve this is to work backwards from the known difficulties

Is it dyspraxia? (1)• Rule out neurological conditions that cause the

same difficulties e.g. cerebral palsy and minor neurological dysfunction

• Not just slow or untidy handwriting• Need to perform a full Educational Assessment

of reading, writing, spelling, general intellectual ability

• Lots of samples of handwriting- – Copying – visual component – Dictation - multitasking– Free writing- word finding +

Is it dyspraxia (2)

• Developmental history – triangulate & ask a parent (?)

• Morrisby Manual Dexterity Test (1998) – test of coordination

• Beery VMI

• Dyspraxia questionnaire

What next?

Looking at these two examples

• what recommendations might you make as an identifying assessor?

• what might be the focus of 1:1 support?

Academic adjustments

• Mentor

• Extra time

• Computer in exams

• Handouts before lectures

• Stickers

• Recording lectures

Specialist 1:1 support

• Time management of tasks

• Structuring of tasks

• Planning of academic writing

• Verbal presentation skills