Dyspraxia in adults: Dyspraxia: The Disorder with "Out of Sync" Actions

Dyspraxia, commonly referred to as Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), is a common illness that impairs coordination and movement. While your IQ remains unaffected by dyspraxia, it may interfere with your ability to coordinate activities that require balance, such as playing sports or learning to drive a car. Your ability to write and handle small things may also deviate from normal.

Processing speed, focus, and memory may occasionally also be impacted. Each dyspraxic individual has a unique need because no two people will appear with the same constellation of symptoms or severity.

Fact: Even the famous Harry Potter star, Daniel Radcliffe has this condition and has also reported being bullied by others. (Image via Freepik/ Freepik)

Understanding Dyspraxia

What do we understand by the term? How can it affect our children's mental health? (Image via Freepik/ Freepik)

Dyspraxia comes from the ancient Greek word "dys," which means difficult or disorganized, and "praxis," which means action or activity.

Movement and coordination are affected by dyspraxia. This means that people who have the illness could struggle with various daily jobs and activities like playing a certain sport, operating a vehicle, or cooking a meal. Some people may find it difficult to use their fine motor skills, making it difficult for them to write, tie their shoes, or operate certain tools with one hand, such as a stapler or can opener.

Many people believe that it is a hidden disorder that is not yet fully understood. It is one of a number of illnesses and ailments that affect how information is processed and learned.

While it is a disorder that can cause significant dysfunction, a lot is yet to be understood. (Image via Freepik/ Freepik)

The precise cause of dyspraxia is unknown, according to the researchers. Children are more likely to have this if they are born prematurely (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) and have a low birth weight.

Meanwhile, a related neurological disorder called apraxia of speech causes people to completely lose the motor abilities necessary to produce understandable spoken words. The jaw, tongue, cheeks, and palate are all involved in this movement and coordination.

Dyspraxia can cause children and adults to be incredibly intelligent, smart, and creative, with a great sense of humor and deep empathy for others. They may be highly driven and motivated, particularly when it comes to problem-solving, and they may be skilled at discovering new ways to learn.

What You Should Know About Dyspraxia in Adults

Can this condition also exist in adults? (Image via Freepik/ Freepik)

Dyspraxia can show symptoms as early as age three, but it may take until a child is in school or even into adulthood for those symptoms to be recognized. The disorder is thought to impact between 2% and 5% of adults.

Several symptoms of dyspraxia can be seen in those suffering from the condition. Several of these will vary between people and could change over time. There may be issues with social interaction, emotion regulation, and cognitive processing in addition to the condition's effects on coordination and mobility. Due to this, the following factors could be affected:

How someone behaves in social settings
The experience and management of emotions
Time management, organization, and planning abilities
Mobility, balance, and coordination
In painting, typing, handling small things, and writing
How knowledge is retained and new abilities are acquired
Daily chores like getting dressed, tying your shoes, or making food

This disorder has nothing to do with IQ but can impact how someone learns. This is because having trouble writing by hand might affect your ability to take notes, produce essays, and do well on tests. Those with dyspraxia may find it more difficult to maintain organization and follow directions.

Children or adults can both learn to manage their condition. (Image via Pexels/ Keira)

Adults may take longer to learn than their classmates when short-term memory and poor processing are the problems, and they may find it difficult to keep up with deadlines for assignments and requirements or demands from superiors.

The indicators of dyspraxia can occasionally be difficult to recognize, especially when they are moderate. Many people adopt coping and avoidance techniques well into adulthood, and some symptoms are simply explained away as clumsiness, awkwardness, or being disorganized.

It's critical to be aware of the potential effects that mental health issues like dyspraxia might have on people. Many people may never receive or even seek a diagnosis, and they may go through life wondering why they feel out of place and have difficulties in certain aspects of their lives that others around them appear to handle without any issue.

Even folks with diagnoses occasionally experience frustration with themselves and others. Regardless of our circumstances, everyone can benefit from being more aware of mental health issues.

Dyspraxia is not something that people grow out of, but many adults with untreated disorders have learned coping mechanisms to get by. However, all it takes is a change in circumstances, like a new job or returning to school, to make previously useful techniques useless. In some circumstances, this may lead a person to seek a diagnosis in order to be eligible for assistance.

Although there are no specific treatments, there are therapies that can help with day-to-day activities, such as occupational therapy, which can show you how to manage daily tasks like writing or cooking while still remaining independent, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a talking therapy that can show you how to handle your issues by altering the way you think and behave.

Janvi Kapur is a counselor with a Master's degree in applied psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology.

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