Learning Difficulties: Conditions

Dyspraxia

Dr. Madeleine Portwood describes dyspraxia as follows :

Dyspraxia can be defined as 'motor difficulties caused by perceptual problems, especially visual-motor and kinesthetic-motor difficulties'.

Dyspraxia - according to research - affects up to one in 20 children with boys identified four times more frequently than girls. It would therefore seem reasonable to suppose that there is at least one sufferer in each class at school.

The theory outlined by Gerald Edelman in 1992 suggests that the condition is caused by the failure of the neurons in the brain to develop correctly. This failure of the neurons to form adequate connections means that the brain takes longer to process information and there is a greater likelihood of the brain losing the suggestion and the child therefore failing to respond to requests given to him.

Dyspraxia is a developmental condition, that is, there are factors which are evident virtually from birth. The incidence of dyspraxia occurring with other developmental disorders (co-morbidity) - dyslexia, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autistic spectrum behaviors - is high.

There are many instances when the major presenting difficulties, usually inattention, inability to complete work, social isolation and behavior problems, ‘mask’ the underlying cause.

Many of the acknowledged presenting problems are common to both:

• delayed acquisition of language
  
• poor concentration
  
• inability to follow instructions
  
• miss-match between perceived ability and ability to record information on paper
  
• co-ordination difficulties
  
• food allergies ( particularly in relation to milk products)
  

There is a great overlap between the presenting problems of dyslexia and dyspraxia, which is hardly surprising when the neurological basis for both is the same, but diagnosis is dependent on which area of the brain is affected.

For a more detailed description of developmental dyspraxia, please see the webpage of The Dyspraxia Foundation, http://www.emmbrook.demon.co.uk/dysprax/what.htm or Dr. Madeleine Portwood's website http://web.ukonline.co.uk/madeleine.portwood