Dyscordination of movement,

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Dyspraxia
A Difficulty in the Organisation of
Movement
By
Dr Saim Soomro

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What is Dyspraxia?
• “An impairment or immaturity in the
organization of movement which leads to
associated problems with language,
perception and thought.”
This is the definition as per The Dyslexia
Foundation 1997.

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Definition - 2
• In another definition, dyspraxia can be
defined as “motor difficulties caused by
perceptual problems, especially visual –
motor and kinaesthetic – motor difficulties”.

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Definition - 3
In 1972, Jean Ayres defined Dyspraxia as:
“The inability to plan and execute non –
habitual movements.”

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Dys + Praxis
• „Dys‟ means „Faulty‟
• „Praxis‟ means „The ability to use the body
as a skilled tool‟.
• Children with dyspraxia find that moving
with efficiently flowing movements does
not come easily to them. They find this
particularly difficult, especially in the face
of a new challenge.

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Cause
• Why such a situation arises in what is
estimated to be one out of 20 students is not
clearly known but it is believed that one of
the reasons could be trauma at birth or a
significant lack of lipids (fatty acids) in the
diet of the child, a few weeks after birth.

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Neurological Theory
Gerald Edelman in 1992 suggests that the
condition is caused by the failure of the
neurons in the brain to develop correctly.
This failure of the neurons to form adequate
connections means that the brain takes
longer to process information and there is a
greater likelihood of the brain losing the
suggestion and the child therefore failing to
respond to requests given to him.

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Co ordination
• Co ordination between different body parts
is responsible for different kinds of actions.
• Depending upon the nature of activity,
different kinds of co ordination is required.

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Whole Body Co ordination
• This involves the large muscle groups like
running and jumping.

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Eye – Hand Co ordination
• This is required for tasks like catching,
throwing or hitting a ball, wielding a
racquet etc.
• Requires knowledge of „Body Boundary”.

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Fine Motor Co ordination
• Required for activities like drawing,
painting, writing
• Eye-hand co ordination and visual –spatial
awareness contribute to fine motor skills.

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Speech Muscle Co ordination
• The muscles in the mouth, lips and soft
palate must work in synchronization to
produce speech.
• Another set of muscles help in the
regulation of the tone and pitch of speech.
• A problem in any of these areas would
impede the child‟s ability to articulate
speech clearly.

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Crossing the Body Midline
• This is the ability to use the right hand on
the left side of the body and vice versa.
• Tying shoelaces, wearing socks, trousers
etc. are some activities that require crossing
the body midline.
• Causes problems with two handed co-
ordination like opening a jam bottle.

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Crossing the Body Midline
Tasks that would be easy :
Keyboarding or playing the piano because
each hand operates on its own side of the
body.

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Perceptual Motor Development
• It is the study of how children learn to move
effectively & efficiently in different
environments.
• Dyspraxic children frequently are unable to
transfer learning from one environment to
another.

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Movement
• Three components:
– Ideation
– Planning
– Execution

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Ideation, Planning & Execution
• Ideation is knowing what to do.
• Planning involves building a mental model
of the action.
• Execution is actually carrying out the
movement.
.

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Execution
• Execution contributes to feedback so for the
next repetition, the child is able to fine-tune
the movement better.

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Sequencing
• A good degree of sequencing is involved in
planning and execution and a difficulty in
sequencing can disrupt the child‟s ability to
carry out a movement.

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Indications of Dyspraxia
• Appears irritable.
• Takes time to be comforted.
• Sleeping difficulties.
• Constantly seeks reassurance.
• Likely to bypass the „crawling‟ stage.

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Indications - 2
• Picks up objects using „palmar‟ grip.
• Unable to manipulate a toy with each hand.
• Reacts with distress to high noise levels.
• Gets easily bored of „Hide and Seek‟
games.

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Indications - 3
• Delayed motor development.
• Delayed toilet training.
• High levels of motor activity.
• Repetitive behaviour
• Highly emotional
• Concentration limited to a few minutes

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Indications - 4
• Extremely excitable.
• Awkward and clumsy.
• Poor ground awareness – no sense of danger
when jumping from heights.
• Avoids using constructional toys
• Peer group isolation

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Indications - 5
• Unestablished laterality. Problems crossing
the midline.
• Persistent language difficulties.
• Slow response to verbal instruction.
• Problems with comprehension.
• Problems with sequencing

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Movement and Intellectual Development
• “It is widely accepted that the
development of controlled movement has
a part to play in the intellectual
development of children. Children need
to experience movement in order to learn
about themselves, the relationship to the
environment and the interaction between
the two.” (French & Lee, 1996)

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Remedial Strategies - 1
• Problems with movement may be more
difficult to eliminate than other deficiency
classifications. (Cowden and Eason 1991)
• The child with dyspraxia needs regular
practice sessions that are short and
intensive.
• Lack of practice worsens the condition.

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Remedial Strategies - 2
At Home:
• Keep the environment simple.
• Use a large digital clock which has an
alarm.
• Create methods whereby the child can be as
independent as possible.
• Furniture to be at appropriate height.

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Remedial Strategies - 3
Create lists of routines that will help the child
with organisation:
List on Front Door
1. Schoolbag
2. Pencil Box
3. Lunch Box
4. School Books…

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Remedial Strategies - 4
School Equipment:
• Find a colourful schoolbag that is easily
identified.
• Choose velcro fasteners.
• Attach a laminated timetable inside the flap of
the bag.
• Get lunchboxes that can open easily

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Remedial Strategies - 5
At School (cont‟d):
• Have a large see through pencil box.
• Have a water bottle that stands easily and
opens easily
• Colour code notebooks & textbooks, subject
wise.

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Remedial Strategies - 6
In Class:
• Remove distractors like charts, pictures
from the child‟s environment.
• Ensure child sits away from doors, windows
etc.
• Ensure that desk and chair is comfortable
and well balanced.

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Remedial Strategies - 7
• Provide an inclined board for writing.
• Check for glares on the blackboard due to
bulbs and outside light.
• Always send letters home conveying
information.
• Ensure that the child knows his way about,
outside class.

33. Controlled Movement – A Must
• Essential part of the
child‟s day –in the
form of games, yoga,
dance etc.
• Contributes to
intellectual
development.
Picture courtesy:
Yoga & Movement Expert, Shri Jagdish
Bramta. –http://jagdishbramta.com
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References:
• 1)Macintyre Christine, “Dyspraxia 5-11. A
Practical Guide”. David Fulton Publishers (2001)
• 2)Porter Madeleine, “A Handbook of Dyspraxia”
• 3)Raja Bela, “Children With Learning
Difficulties – How to Help. A Guide for Parents
and Teachers”. Vakils, Feffer & Simon Pvt Ltd
(2006)

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THANK YOU