Is your Child Clumsy?

Does your child find it hard to ride a bike? Or he cannot speak or write well? Then he may be suffering from DYSPRAXIA. According to Irene Helen Zundel , dyspraxia is difficulty with thinking out, planning and carrying out sensory/motor tasks. It is caused by an underdevelopment of the brain, and takes many forms. Some of these are:

1.0 Ideomotor Dyspraxia: the inability to perform simple, single motor tasks, such as combing hair or waving goodbye.
2.0 Ideational Dyspraxia: Difficulty with multi-level tasks, such as brushing one's teeth.
3.0 Dressing Dyspraxia: difficulty with dressing and putting clothes on in order.
4.0 Oromotor Dyspraxia: Difficulty with speech.
5.0 Constructional Dyspraxia: Difficulty with spatial relations.

Signs:

Ages birth-pre-school:

1.0 Late rolling, crawling, and walking;
2.0 Difficulty with steps and climbing
3.0 Difficulty putting together puzzles
4.0 Abnormal eye movements - a tendency to move the head instead of eyes
5.0 Difficulty in learning new skills
6.0 Slow speech development

In older children:

1.0 Difficulty in dressing and tying shoelaces
2.0 Difficulty using cutlery
3.0 Poor balance, awkwardness in gait, general clumsiness
4.0 Difficulty riding a bike
5.0 Difficulty in physical education classes due to difficulty with hopping, skipping, and throwing/catching a ball
6.0 Poor reading skills
7.0 Illegible handwriting due to an inability to grasp a pen or pencil properly
8.0 Trouble remembering/following instructions, suffers from a poor short term memory in general
9.0 Difficulty copying from the blackboard
Speech problems and difficulties in general with self-expression
10.0 Impatience
11.0 Poor social skills, emotional immaturity
12.0 Phobias or obsessive behaviors
13.0 Sensitivity to touch, intolerance to having hair and nails cut, or teeth and hair brushed
14.0 Poor sense of direction
15.0 Confusion as to which hand to use for a task
16.0 Difficulty in muti-step tasks such as brushing teeth due to an inability to remember the order of steps that need to be taken .

How to help your child:

1.0 Don't pressure your child to communicate. This will only frustrate him and inhibit him further. Instead, use repetitive verbal activities such as songs, poems and nursery rhymes to develop language skills.
2.0 Use sign language or picture board when necessary.
3.0 For motor difficulties, practice tasks with your child. Do them slowly and in the proper order each time.
4.0 Start with simple tasks and slowly increase difficulty over time.
5.0 Encourage physical activities to build coordination and confidence.
6.0 Be patient. Don't create an anxious atmosphere. It will only hinder learning and increase frustration.
7.0 Encourage friendships. Socialization increases confidence and rapport with peers.

My only son is now 6 years old, but he still cannot talk well. He was suffering from asthma during his early years. However, he is very good in writing and spelling, so if we could not understand what he is saying, he simply spells it or writes it.

Article Source:Effective Parenting Tips