Clumsy and lazy people may suffer a condition of the brain

7:30pm Monday 29th September 2008

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By Lauren Rogers »

A COMPLEX health condition that makes people appear clumsy and lazy is being highlighted by a Worcestershire charity.

Dyspraxia Awareness Week, which runs until Saturday, is being promoted by the Malvern-based national charity Assoc-iation for the Rehabilitation of Communication and Oral Skills (ARCOS). The charity, which runs a dedicated dyspraxia self-help group, hopes to inform the public, while also helping sufferers.

Dyspraxia is a brain impairment affecting both children and adults which results in language, perception and thought problems. It is often difficult to diagnose and can be misinterpreted as lazy, anti-social or stand-offish behaviour.

Individuals have problems in sequencing and organisation, which means they often have speech problems and confuse left with right.

Kay Coombes, speech and language therapist at ARCOS, said children with developmental dyspraxia tend to be noticed, but not diagnosed.

She said: “These are the children who no one wants on their team because they drop the ball. Their handwriting is appalling, they are a bit clumsy, have difficulty getting dressed and organising themselves. Typically labelled by exasperated parents and teachers as lazy, untidy and careless, children with dyspraxia are liable to think of themselves as stupid and to have low self-esteem. They are vulnerable to bullying.”

Adults with dyspraxia have difficulty maintaining jobs and relationships.

Ms Coomes said: “Activities that we tend to take for granted, such as giving directions and crossing the road safely, are likely to be difficult. Driving a car is impossible for many sufferers.”

ARCOS provides practical advice for families living with dyspraxia, therapy for children, and a self-help social group for adults.

Their next Adults with Dyspr-axia at ARCOS meeting is at 1pm on Saturday at the ARCOS headquarters in Church Street, Mal-vern. For more information call 0845 1228697. To learn about dyspraxia visit dyspraxiafoundation.

org.uk or call 01462 454 986.

WHAT IS DYSPRAXIA?

Dyspraxia is a developmental impairment that can lead to problems with co-ordination, motor skills, language, thought and perception. It can cause great difficulties in coping with simple day-to-day tasks most people take for granted, including: Walking up and down stairs.Getting dressed.

Tying shoelaces.

Forming relationships/making friends.

Adapting to a structured school routine.

Inability to remember more than two or three instructions at once.