Spotlight Magazines Spotlight Magazine Mansfield South October 2015 | Page 8

Spotlight Magazine Dyspraxia Awareness Week 11th - 17th October. Dyspraxia is also known as Developmental Coordination Disorder, and occurs in both adults and children. It can affects fine and gross motor coordination. Those with the condition are often late learning to walk, stand, sit and roll and will find other standard developmental activities such as running, jumping or catching a ball more difficult. Many also experience difficulties with articulation, speech, perception and thoughts, leading to memory problems, poor organisation, planning and sequencing skills. Dyspraxia is thought to be caused by an immaturity of neurone development in the brain which disrupts the way the brain sends messages to the body. Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe announced he had the disorder in 2008. Other well known personalities affected by the condition include South Shields MP Emma Lewell- Buck, model Cara Delvingne and Jamie Lambert who is part of the Britain’s Got Talent winning male singing group Collabro. Indeed, Jamie has just become a Celebrity Patron for the Charity the Dyspraxia Foundation and is fronting this year’s awareness campaign. His mother Lorraine has shared her thoughts in a blog to help others. She urges people not to assume that those with the condition have limited potential. as Asperger’s Syndrome (High Functioning Autism), Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), Dyslexia, language disorders, and social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Diagnosis via specific assessments often happens at school age and usually leads to referral to specialist support services. While many of those with Dyspraxia are highly intelligent, their ability to learn is often impaired and they will need to repeat things and practice more often. At a special event in Parliament in 2014, Emma Lewell-Buck said; ‘I used to also suffer from low self-esteem and confidence, and for a time at school I got frustrated with having to work harder than the other kids and started to misbehave. But I realised that if I was going to make something of my life I needed to start knuckling down – even if it did take longer to grasp and understand things I knew that I was just as capable as anyone else.’ The Dyspraxia Foundation provides resources and a helpline to assist young adults affected by Dyspraxia as well as their families, teachers and healthcare professionals. There are also many local support groups. Find out more at: http://www. dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk Helpline: 01462 454986 Around 5% of the population are affected by Dyspraxia and around 2% are severely affected. Evidence shows the condition sometimes runs in families and that boys are three times more likely to be affected than girls. Sometimes Dyspraxia occurs in isolation, but frequently it coexists with conditions such 8 www.spotlightlocal.co.uk • 01623 706570 • [email protected]