features
Many children with dyspraxia fail to go through the crawling stage , preferring to " bottom shuffle " and then walk . Later , they will avoid tasks that require good manual dexterity
It is widely acknowledged that early movement experiences such as crawling , rolling and tummy time contribute significantly to a child ’ s learning readiness . Indeed , a child ’ s future achievements are dependent on their movement experiences from the time that they are born .
As such , the brain ’ s structure is connected to the child ’ s inner body mechanisms , driving movements that ultimately restructure the architecture of the brain . These deceptively simple movement patterns support the development of particular skills such as visual tracking , motor control , postural development and efficient coordination .
But there is a danger that we focus almost exclusively on our child ’ s cognitive system without recognising the subtle but powerful influence that our bodies exert on every aspect of functioning . Movement is the foundation of our brain ladder and must be nurtured and explored in order to support higher level functioning . Yet sometimes there may be challenges with the development of a child ’ s movement , a condition that ’ s known as dyspraxia .
What is dyspraxia and how does it affect our child ' s development
Simply put , developmental dyspraxia is an immaturity of the organisation of a child ’ s movement . In their everyday life , they may find it difficult to learn how to plan and coordinate their movements .
Everyday activities of daily life such as dressing , feeding , washing and playing require a strong understanding of praxis – the ability to interact successfully with the physical environment – so that individuals can plan , organise and carry out a sequence of unfamiliar actions and to do what they need and want to do .
Plainly speaking , it is the ability by which we figure out how to use our body and hands in skilled tasks . So for our children , we are talking about tasks like playing with toys , using cutlery , a paintbrush or pencil , or attempting to put together a block creation or house .
Dyspraxia , or Developmental Coordination Delay ( DCD ) as its also commonly known , is not necessarily a primary problem in motor coordination or execution . Indeed , the problem is normally hypothesised to be due to a difficulty in formulating the plan of action , for example perhaps your child being a bit clumsy when moving to a standing position from being sat down .
When considering an individual ’ s development , there are three specific components of praxis and / or development areas that a child with potential dyspraxia may find challenging :
Ideation
The ability to grasp the idea to allow purposeful interaction with the environment . It involves knowing what to do with an object and being able to anticipate a plan of action .
Planning
The ability to plan and structure a purposeful adaptive response involving the motor and sensory systems . It also involves knowing how to move , and being able to send the right messages from the brain to the relevant muscles and areas of the sensory system in order to carry out the movements .
Execution
Carrying out the movement , and putting the plan into action .
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