Dyspraxia & learning problems

Former Member

Just wondering if anybody on the site has dyspraxia, dyslexia, discalcula or any other learning difficulties. You see, my mother brought it up a few years back after seeing it on a program and she told the doctor I had symptoms just like the kids, who laughed at her. A couple of years on and my auntie and two cousins were all diagnosed with this condition.

The thing is, I read the symptoms and they applied for me. Just to give you an idea about what I can/cannot do.

1. Have trouble riding a bike
2. Have trouble with some constinent vowels when they're read out.
3. I have difficulty with pronunciation of certain words, for example, "feminine"
4. I can't ride a bike
5. I was about 3 books behind in my year in maths because I couldn't do it
6. I was the only person in my year and the year below not allowed to use a pen to write with because my handwriting was terrible.
7. I am always bumping in to people.
8. I have a phemomenly short attention span.
9. I have difficulty reading
10. I have a lot of trouble copying notes and following instructions.

And so on...

Anyway, after talking to a social worker I have to see she told me to go to Learner Support in college and I did. But seeing as I got good grades in my GCSEs (actually, I taught myself to write with paragraphs at the age of 15 because I never understood when the teacher told me how) and I tried to tell her that I got them because I worked my way around the system (for example, we read hard Times by Dickens for our English lit. in school... I read one chapter and got an A in the exam because I knew that Dickens's book was about social class... I made it up) and that because nobody had picked up anything, I couldn't get help.

Now she had phoned the teachers and talked to them and I asked my psychology teacher about what she said. Karen told me that she said I had some very intelligent ideas, but that I had obvious difficulty in communicating them. The advisor asked if it could be my other 'problem' (I suffer from recurrant depression) and she said she wasn't qualified to answer that.

So Now it's like... I can't even get an assessment through college, which annoys me. I mean it's like you know what to say, but never how to say it. It's like looking at a building, but the gate is padlocked and you have to walk around by yourself to find a hole in the fence.

So I was wondering if anybody here was able to seek assessments elsewhere. I believe that help of some sort would be able to make me reach my full potential (I suck at exams because of the way questions are written, too ambiguous)... But bloody college say it's all in my head. I've had co-ordination problems since I were a kid, I've always never been great at relating to people and I have difficulty with reading. Sometimes I think I'm mad... or useless or thick...

Any help?

Former Member

I can't help you there but just thought you might be interested to know my little brother is 11 years old and he has dyspraxia or low muscle tone. He falls over a lot and he can't write without an arm rest. His school is very understanding because we are given notes from the doctor and hospital to pass on. You're not alone.

Former Member

I have dyspraxia and discalcula.

No one at my two High schools noticed. I'm now involved with a group called LEAD (linking education and disability) and they've been great. I think they are only in Scotland, but there must be a charity or group near you. Try searching on the net, or phone the education authority. Hope this helps. Good Luck:)

Former Member

How did you go about getting help? You see, I have this thing where I find writing hard to read with white paper and ended up walking out of a vital exam because it hurt my eyes and I couldn't concentrate. Plus I forget what I'vve written and sometimes write it again or sometimes I get tired a lot.

And it does affect my college, but the learner support won't help because, although my spelling can be dodgey, I am not seriously impaired in that area and my handwriting is not illegible.

How did you find out about dyspraxia *Angelic*? And what sort of tests do they do?

I can't afford to go private, it'll cost at least £500 to get any help that way, but my doctor is trying to see if she can get me an appointment funded by the NHS. Nevertheless, if I do get a diagnosis, I doubt I'll be able to get any help as I'm not extremely severe, it only affects my education and communication (and often, my moods... but that could be my depression).

Sometimes I feel so stupid like I get in to trouble with the girls at work (I work behind a bar) because I'm too slow and sometimes they tease me by saying things that I might take literally. I don't go to dance clubs with them anymore 'cause they laugh at me when I dance and I hate the noisy atmosphere (rock clubs aren't so bad, but all clubs/concerts leave me a bit unsettled) and there are too many people. People have laughed at me in college too because of how I explain things.

And I'm sick of it, I never fitted in anywhere. My teachers were always bitching about my presentation and my friends I couldn't relate to massively.

But ah shit happens and all that, tha's what I say. Just wondering if I can get tested somewhere and if they'll offer support, or if that's only for people who literally cannot write at all (my friend has dyslexia and dyspraxia, he uses laptops for exams).

Former Member

Well I was just lucky. I had a lot of support agencies involved with me (I'd been unemployed and on and off for two years and had mental health problems and so on) and someone mentioned LEAD. They didn't actually do any tests on me, they thought it was pretty obvious what was wrong with me. You sound like a pretty severe case of dyslexia and dyspraxia and I doubt that any specialist in learning problems would see that straight away. I'm going to look and see what I can find on the net for you and I'll post it up (can't do links but I'll do my best). Don't feel bad about yourself for this, it doesn't make you stupid.... Albert Einstein was dyslexic !:)

Former Member

Right, hope some of this helps!
Channel4 have a site with basic info about dylexia. Go to www.channel4.com, do a search for dylexia and you should find it. Its probably stuff you already know, but the best thing about it is that you can change the background colour to make it easier to read!

Also www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk
and
www.bda-dyslexia.org.uk

Hope some of this helps, very sorry for lack of links!!!:)


Edited to add; Yay it does it by itself!!! Now I see

Former Member

my brother has dyslexia and dyspraxia. he can ride a bike ok, he cant read and write good at all. He's not particularly clumsy. He may have these 2 illnesses but i dont know much about them at all I'm ashamed to say.

Former Member

Hey,

Just had a l;etter from the Dyscovery centre and I can get NHS coverage so maybe get some tests done.

Former Member

i have dyslexia dyscalcula and now i have been told i might have dyspraxia, i can relate to what you have said in your post as i had all those things at school, only mine has gotten worse over the years

my family dont believe it is as bad as i say it is, but when you cnt walk down the street without falling over then it is that bad

i can live with it, but it does affect my day to day living, as when i write my spelling and reading is bad, i lose concentration very easily and struggle with hand and eye co-ordination,

i want to know if there is a way for me to confirm that i have dyspraxia, any test i can do to confirm it or something
:thumb:

Former Member

This is a really old thread, you might get more replies if you start a new one.

Your college or university can organise an appointment with an educational psychologist to test for dyspraxia.

Former Member

im not at college not till september

Former Member

Then your school might be able to refer you, or you could wait until September.

Former Member

im 25 years old i left school 10 years ago, and i cant wait till september, i need to know now, as it is becoming increasingly difficult to cope with it