I’ve decided to do another combination post today. It is a whole 10 years since I broke my foot, specifically a spiral fracture to one of my metatarsal bones. I was running downstairs and missed the last step. I landed on the side of my foot, OUCH! Two days later I finally went to hospital as I was still unable to walk on it. Here is my gorgeous purple cast for #MySundayPhoto:
This year I have had other health problems: vertigo. Truly one of the most debilitating illnesses I’ve ever had but thankfully I am now about 95% better.
So what do my broken foot and vertigo have to do with gross motor skills?
Well, I (and probably you as well) take for granted the ability to walk, stand, move, drive, cook, wash etc. I feel extremely fortunate that my conditions were only temporary but some people have to cope with this daily.
Dyspraxia is a form of developmental coordination disorder which affects children and adults. Fine and gross motor skills are affected and activities that require coordination may be extremely difficult.
There is increasing recognition that dyspraxia also has a mental health implication for children and adults due to the frustrations of being unable to coordinate actions to complete tasks. There may be additional problems with planning actions and personal organisation which can lead to significant problems at school or work. A person with dyspraxia may find it difficult to take care of themselves.
As with all conditions, it is important to identify dyspraxia early so that interventions can be put in place to help. For small children signs of dypraxia can include being late in reaching milestones, trouble understanding concepts such as ‘in’, ‘on’, ‘in front of’ etc, difficulty walking up and down stairs, falling over frequently, poor pencil grip and easily distracted.
If you need help, support or further information then visit the Dyspraxia Foundation’s website or speak to your education provider or GP.
