Information for staff on dyspraxia
- Characteristics of dyspraxia
- Difficulties faced by students
- Manual & practical work
- Personal presentation & spatial skills
- Memory and attention span
- Written expression
- Visual and oral skills
- Numerical and mathematical skills
- Social, communication and emotional difficulties
- In Lectures
- In Seminars & Tutorials
- When writing essays & reports
- Examinations
- Assistive Technology
- Further information
The Dyspraxia Foundation definition states: “Dyspraxia is an impairment or immaturity of the organisation of movement. Associated with this there may be problems of language, perception and thought”. (For website reference, see below.) Indicators of dyspraxia overlap with some other specific learning differences, particularly dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). About 5% of the population in the UK continue to have dyspraxic difficulties in adulthood. Young people who have received learning support for dyspraxia at school are arriving in HE with expectations of inclusivity, just as dyslexic people have been since the early 1990s.
At DMU, Student Services offers support for dyspraxic students in the Disability Unit and Student Learning Advisory Service. However, it is important that all staff are aware of the nature of dyspraxia and of learning and teaching approaches which can be helpful. It is recognised as a disability, and hence our response to it is covered by the Disability Discrimination Act Part IV (also known as SENDA).
The most common characteristics of dyspraxia involve:
- Body movement. This includes large movements such as walking and balance, and fine motor skills such as writing or using small tools
- Speech and language. There may be difficulties with pronunciation and articulation. A dyspraxic person may talk continuously or slowly, and may repeat things.
- Visual problems: tracking text when reading, or looking quickly and effectively at information.
- Perceptual difficulties. This involves interpretation by the different senses. There may be heightened sensitivity to sound, light or touch.
- Slowness in what might be described as forming a concept of the task. As with dyslexia, there is no association between dyspraxia and poor intellectual ability, but there may be an appearance of this (see under ‘memory and attention span’ below).
- Emotional difficulties such as anxiety and depression, resulting from these characteristics, are often found.
As with dyslexia, there is a long list of possible indicators of dyspraxia. A person is said to be dyspraxic if s/he experiences a large number of these indicators continuously. The following list is taken from Colley (2004):
Students may have difficulty with the following:
- Manual & practical work
- Personal presentation and spatial skills
- Work and personal organisation
- Memory & attention span
- Written expression
- Visual & oral skills
- Numeracy skills
- Social, communication and emotional behaviour
Manual & practical work
- Problems using computer keyboards and mice
- Frequent spills in the laboratory and elsewhere
- Difficulty measuring accurately
- Slow, poor or illegible handwriting
- Messy presentation/work
- Problems with craft-work, cookery etc.
Personal presentation & spatial skills
- Untidy and rumpled
- Clumsy gait
- Poor posture
- Frequently bumping into things and tripping over
- Poor at sport, especially team & ball games
Memory and attention span
- Short attention span
- Poor short term memory
- Easily distracted in class, especially by noise and bright lights
- Difficulty following class discussions
- Slow retrieval of information, especially when under stress
- Becoming disorientated, for example, getting lost in buildings
Written expression
- Erratic spelling and punctuation
- Awkward and confused sentence structure
- Poor proof-reading
- Inclusion of irrelevant material in essays
- Slow to complete work
Visual and oral skills
- Trouble keeping place while reading and writing - tracking problems
- Poor relocating - cannot easily look from screen/board to note pad
- Difficulty with word finding
- Wrong pronunciation of newly-introduced words
- Speaking indistinctly, loudly, fast or slowly
- Interrupting inappropriately
- Difficulty learning foreign languages
Numerical and mathematical skills
- Tendency to reverse and mis-copy numbers and signs
- Frequent and apparently careless mistakes
- Particular difficulty with geometry - both drawing and using equipment such as compass or protractor
- Difficulty with spatial awareness e.g. drawing shapes, graphs, tables
Social, communication and emotional difficulties
- Problems with oral interaction & communication
- Low self-esteem & lack of confidence
- Frustration, defensiveness, aggression
- Over-talkative & excitable behaviour
- Withdrawn & reserved
- Anxiety, stress & depression
Colley (2004) adds that in spite of the above, dyspraxic students may exhibit the following positive characteristics:
- Creative and original thinking
- Good strategic thinking and problem-solving
- Determination and hard work
- Strong motivation
- Personal strategies to overcome some of their difficulties.
The following approaches can usefully be adopted by academic and support staff:
In Lectures
- Give clear handouts
- Write new terms on board
- Accept use of minidisc recorders
- Repeat & summarise the main points of the lecture
- Understand that students are easily distracted
- Videoing lectures can be very helpful
- Multi-sensory materials are also important
- Break things down into segments
In Seminars & Tutorials
- Give students more time in general to frame and answer questions, and to work out how to perform a task
- Help students to prioritise books on the reading list
- Give extra time for course work
- Be aware that students are easily distracted by noise and movement
- Allow students to take regular breaks
- Show examples of essays and reports to help students know what is expected of them
- Give clear instructions and repeat them; supply written notes if possible
- Demonstrate procedures several times
- Leave nothing to the imagination
- Encourage them as much as possible, emphasising strengths
- Facilitate use of their best sensory modality, such as colour coding, auditory memory or opportunity to move about and shift position
- Let other students help them
In terms of academic assessment, allow dyspraxic students to demonstrate their understanding by the means which best suits their learning difference. Examples: orally, voiced software, production of artefact, practical demonstration. Most dyspraxic students will have an Educational Psychologist’s report, and this should make recommendations about assessment.
Strategies for the student include:
When writing essays & reports
- One to one tuition at least once a week
- Help with planning & organisation e.g. concept maps
- Help with writing & paragraphing
- Help with proof-reading
- Help with time management & organisation
(All the above can be funded via the Disabled Students’ Allowance. Drop-in sessions are also available at SLAS regardless of such funding.)
Examinations
- Help with revision
- Extra time
- Use of a computer
- Scribe or reader when necessary
- Allowances for dyspraxia when marking
- Taking exams in a separate room to avoid distractions
(These arrangements can be made by the Disability Unit.)
Technological Hardware
- Word processors with good spell- and grammar checks
- Lap tops
- Monitors - large monitors are easier to work with
- Computer mice - one that is easy to control e.g. Anir mouse
- Scanners
- Keyboards - large ergonomic ones
- Minidisc players
Technological software
- Training time
- Voice-activated word processing such as Dragon Naturally Speaking
- Text-to-speech software such as Read and Write
- Planning software such as Mind Manager
- Predictive software such as Penpal
Equipment/Gadgets
- Use Diacem to secure objects in the laboratory or when cooking
- Talking calculators with large keys
- Special compasses
- Special scissors e.g. giro grips , mini cutters
- Corrective pens e.g. Tippex
- Special pens e.g. fat pens - not ball points
- Special rulers e.g. with a ridge
Further Information
There is a leaflet for students available through Student Services/SLAS entitled ‘What is Dyspraxia?’.
The drop-in and group sessions at the Dyslexia Centre are for all students with specific learning differences, and this includes dyspraxia. Drop-ins can be booked by visiting SLAS reception on the first floor of Gateway House, or ringing 7254.
Dyspraxia is recognised as a disability. The Disability Unit in Student Services can help students by arranging assessment by an Educational Psychologist and enabling them to apply for the Disabled Students’ Allowance. The Disability Discrimination Act Part IV obliges us to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for students with dyspraxia, as we do for dyslexic students.
The Counselling service can also help students with self-esteem issues, assertiveness and formal strategies such as cognitive-behavioural therapy, if appropriate.
Where students declare dyspraxia on application to a course, admissions tutors should be aware of the need for detailed advice regarding any practical skills which may be involved.
For further information, contact David Pollak on ext 7831.
In terms of work placements, the following article gives a useful table entitled ‘Possible problems and solutions in the work environment’:
Brown K and Rack J (2004) Specific learning difficulties: summaries of information and guidance. Dyslexia Review 15, 3, 10-14
Other sources of information about dyspraxia:
www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk
Dyspraxia Foundation, Leicester branch: Jane 01530 245 928
Colley M (2000) Living with dyspraxia Hitchin, Dyspraxia Foundation
Colley M (2004) Learning support for students with dyspraxia. Presentation at DMU conference, ‘Specific learning differences in HE and FE: dealing with neurodiversity’. Copies available from David Pollak, Student Services:SLAS.
Cottrell S (2003) Students with dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties. In Powell S (ed) Special teaching in higher education – successful strategies for access and inclusion. London, Kogan Page
Eckersley J (2004) Coping with dyspraxia. London, Sheldon
Portwood M (2000) Understanding developmental dyspraxia. London, David Fulton
