Dyspraxia

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Dyspraxia

What is Dyspraxia?

Dyspraxia is a specific learning difference that may occur alongside dyslexia, or on its own. Sometimes referred to as Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), it generally affects motor learning, co-ordination of movement, memory and organisation. It occurs in people of all ability and intelligence levels.

  • You may find it difficult to manage your time and may struggle with deadlines.
  • You might find it challenging to arrive on time for classes and you may get lost on campus, even when you have been at university for some time.
  • You may have difficulty with spatial awareness and co-ordination of movement. Depending on the type of course you are studying this may present itself in different ways. For example, using a sewing machine may initially be problematic for a fashion student, or using a pipette accurately may be difficult for a biology student.
  • You may be accident prone or worried that you appear clumsy. Awareness of this may mean you avoid certain activities such as sports.
  • Board copying and note taking may be difficult, or you may find your handwriting speed is slow.
  • You may find it hard to express your ideas or structure them into a logical order.
  • It might be hard to know where to start when you are given a new assignment.
  • You are likely to have strengths in other areas of learning, particularly creative subjects.
  • When you first start university, it’s a good idea to arrive early or visit several times before your course starts to start learning your way around. If you attend Welcome Week, there will be student information points when you can get maps and directions and there will be campus tours as part of your induction.
  • Learning how to manage your time effectively is important. This guide offers helpful advice: https://www.wlv.ac.uk/lib/media/departments/lis/skills/study-guides/LS008-Guide-to-Time-Management.pdf
  • Technology-based solutions can be very effective. These may include assistive software to help with mindmapping (useful for capturing your ideas before deciding on structure, and reminders on mobile devices.
  • The University may be able to provide reasonable adjustments, such as use of a word processor in exams if your handwriting legibility and speed is a problem. You may also be given extra time in exams.
  • For more information about dyspraxia, click here http://www.movementmattersuk.org/