Dyspraxia

Dyspraxia is a learning difference that affects how the mind processes actions, usually affecting coordination and movement.


What is Dyspraxia?

Dyspraxia is a specific learning difficulty affecting coordination, movement, balance and organisation abilities. Motor difficulties include poor hand to eye coordination and spatial awareness, which can make it difficult for people with dyspraxia to carry out everyday functions such as writing.


This neurodivergence often exhibits similar characteristics with other neurodivergent conditions, particularly Asperger’s Syndrome and ADHD, particularly in the areas of short-term memory, concentration, and social interaction.


Employees with dyspraxia are often extremely motivated as they’ve had to persevere in the face of adversity all their lives. They are often strategic thinkers who have had to approach old concepts and problems with new innovative ideas.


We offer Workplace Needs Assessments for people with dyspraxia to make sure that you're supported in your job.



"I often struggle to follow simple visual instructions - if someone shows me a dance step, for example, I can't do it."


"I could sit in front of a task I've done a million times, and be unsure what to do"


"My coordination is what I'd call random - I could be the best typist in the world, or the slowest, in the same day"


Common Dyspraxia challenges:

  • Hand-eye coordination
  • Spatial awareness
  • Organisation
  • Short-term memory
  • Expressing thoughts clearly


What are the symptoms of Dyspraxia?

Some common Dyspraxia symptoms include difficulties with:

  • Coordination, balance and movement
  • Everyday tasks like dressing and cooking
  • Time management and organisation
  • Coping with emotions
  • Interacting in social situations
  • Learning new skills, thinking and recalling information
Dyspraxia can sometimes be confused with unrelated conditions affecting movement, such as cerebral palsy and stroke.
Conditions that can occur alongside dyspraxia include:

ADHD
Autism
Dyscalculia
Dyslexia
Anxiety
Depression

Common Dyspraxia strengths

Leadership

Dyspraxics often learn to develop soft skills such as active listening, empathy, and when to delegate tasks to others. Their desire for people to understand what they deal with ensures that they communicate clearly too. All these result in dyspraxics making good leaders.

Empathy

Dyspraxics tend to have an innate ability to understand and respect what others are thinking or feeling. Their experience in struggling with things like coordination can mean they are empathetic when they see others in a tough situation.

Strategy

The learning difference does not affect a person’s IQ, but they may often have to navigate a mind which can be unorganized, meaning they are usually very intelligent people. Navigating around these barriers results in creating strategies to overcome problems in a structured way.

Problem Solving

Dyspraxic people are great at coming up with different approaches to situations. Throughout school, dyspraxics find innovative ways to help themselves learn topics better, and this translates into working life, with dyspraxics being able to see alternative routes to others.

Examples of good jobs for Dyspraxics

  • Team Leader
  • Job Coach
  • Marketing Lead
  • Business Development
  • IT Service Manager
Florence Welch - dyspraxia

Did you know that Florence Welch has dyspraxia?


As the lead singer of Florence and the Machine, she has had an incredible career in music - so far!