Dyspraxia Symptoms

The symptoms listed below are just indicators, that a child may have dyspraxia and therefore needs additional help from us at our Treatment Centre.

Some of the following symptoms (but rarely all!) will be found:

Children up to 3 years of age

• Irritable from birth
• Exhibit significant feeding problems
• Are slow to achieve expected developmental milestones
• By the age of eight months still may not sit independently
• Fail to go through the crawling stages, preferring to "bottom shuffle" and then walk
• Avoid tasks which require good manual dexterity

Children aged 3 to 5 years old

Problems may include:

• Very high levels of motor activity, including feet swinging and tapping when seated, hand-clapping or twisting.
• Unable to stay still
• High levels of excitability, with a loud/shrill voice
• May be easily distressed and prone to temper tantrums
• May constantly bump into objects and fall over
• Hands flap when running
• Difficulty with pedalling a tricycle or similar toy
• Lack of any sense of danger (jumping from heights etc)
• Continued messy eating. May prefer to eat with their fingers, frequently spill drinks
• Avoidance of constructional toys, such as jigsaws or building blocks
• Poor fine motor skills. Difficulty in holding a pencil or using scissors. Drawings may appear immature
• Lack of imaginative play. May show little interest in 'dressing up' or in playing appropriately in a home corner or Wendy house
• Limited creative play
• Isolation within the peer group. Rejected by peers, children may prefer adult company
• Laterality (left- or right-handedness) still not established
• Persistent language difficulties
• Sensitive to sensory stimulation, including high levels of noise, tactile defensiveness, wearing new clothes
• Limited response to verbal instruction. May be slow to respond and have problems with comprehension
• Limited concentration. Tasks are often left unfinished

If dyspraxia is not identified, problems can persist and affect the child’s life at school. Increasing frustration and lowering of self-esteem can result.

Children aged 7 years old

Problems may include:

• Difficulties in adapting to a structured school routine
• Difficulties in Physical Education lessons
• Slow at dressing. Unable to tie shoe laces
• Barely legible handwriting
• Immature drawing and copying skills
• Limited concentration and poor listening skills
• Literal use of language
• Inability to remember more than two or three instructions at once
• Slow completion of class work
• Continued high levels of motor activity
• Hand flapping or clapping when excited
• Tendency to become easily distressed and emotional
• Problems with co-ordinating a knife and fork
• Inability to form relationships with other children
• Sleeping difficulties, including wakefulness at night and nightmares
• Reporting of physical symptoms, such as migraine, headaches, feeling sick

Children aged 8 to 9 years old

Children with dyspraxia may have become disaffected with the education system. Handwriting is often a particular difficulty. By the time they reach secondary education their attendance record is often poor.