[Proudly AP]

i know a bit about it. my dd has been assessed and we are sure she has it.

i suspect i have, too.

i am just wondering if anyone else out there has experience or insight?

thanks

 

[rbear4]

yes, isn't that also called dyspraxia? My daughter is AS but it was one of her first diagnosis. It isn't her main one but she also has it though she is doing much better with her coordination overall it still affects her somewhat. We are doing a new OT and PT evaluation.

She is a middleschooler now and was doing great but the big growth and changes she has done during puberty have given her a coordination type set back. We are now dealing with scoliosis that seems to be from poor muscle control, and range of motion issues, etc.

What we have found that helps is Theraputic horsebackriding (hippotherapy) and martial arts. PT helped when she was little but when she reached school age she no longer qualified. You have to have a very severe impairment in our state to qualify school age for PT. She was just rescreened for APE (adapted PE) and didn't qualify and this is a girl who can't even make big circles with her arms unless you do alot of prompting. She is being re-evaled for PT through our insurance because of the scoliosis.

I just got her back into martial arts and it is already helping her alot. She has been doing theraputic horsebackriding weekly for over 5 years. it is fabulous too but she got to a point where she needed something more than 1 time a week.

Renee

 

[milkmommie]

This DCD/dyspraxia sounds like what dd has.
She was slow on her milestones and has had EI since she was 2.
She is 6 now and has been diagnosed with scoliosis as well. Mostly it just seems like there's a break in the communication between her brain and the rest of her body. She is uncoordinated and her speech is ever so slightly delayed. Her K teacher this past year said she worked at about half the speed of her classmates. She learned everything that was presented to her but needed patience and extra time to complete her work.
I have struggled for so long to try and find out what her disorder might be. Mostly in order to keep recieving services for her. They usually don't want to take my word that she is just a bit "off" in order to continue her services.

Do you need to see a specialist to be diagnosed with DCD or can your regular pediatrician do it?
Sorry, I'm not much help.

 

[Proudly AP]

hi, mamas,
it was an OT who said my dd has DCD. yes, i do believe it can also be called dyspraxia. i think dcd is the new term.

i haven't had time to follow up yet with the ot, so i am not sure of the extent that dd has dcd. it does not surprise me, and i am kicking myself for not getting her checked out sooner, though i am not sure how early they can detect it. my dd is nearly 4 and a half.

what kind of martial arts is your dd in, renee? i have thought about this for her, but am not at all knowledgeable about the martial arts.

my dd is starting jk in september, and i have to say that i am a bit worried about it. i always chalked her up to be a 'spirited child', which i still believe she is, but with a little 'more' of the extra.

when i talk to the ot, i will find out if it would be a good idea for me to have our family doc make a formal diagnosis (therapists cannot formally diagnose here in canada). i am not sure if she'll need some support in school, or modified programming.

i know this may be 'small potatoes' to some parents out there, but i still worry and wonder. i know how horrible i felt when i went through school, because of my dcd issues. i only hope that with relatively early detection, we can help her avoid some of the pain i suffered....

 

[rbear4]

Well, Cait was in TaeKwonDo when she was 6 or so. It was ok but you really want to look around for really great school or program with understanding people. She also had some language issues and such and it made it difficult and by the end very frustrating.

I just put her back in (Karate now) through the parks and rec program in our town. I have my son in that one and the sensei is very understanding. In fact his own wife has a disability so he is cool with it for the most part with Mike. And it is a really small class only 1 time a week and affordable.

I have not actually mentioned any of Cait's challenges to him. She is old enough now (12) that I discuss with her who we inform and who we don't and I respect her feelings. She didn't want to tell him which means she has to try a whole lot harder. He has already been on her case for things she has a very hard time with. But she is a trooper and has come up to the challenge.

I don't think it matters which martial art as much as it does finding one with an understanding instructor. Many are very rigid and tough guys. That kind of attitude can be tough of sensitive girls. But I have heard of some great ones and have talked to some women instructors who were a bit more understanding about any special needs.

Cait's dyspraxia at the time was diagnosed by a neurologist but she already had a OT report saying she had a host of issues and delays so I guess that would have been the same thing.

Renee

 

[Proudly AP]

thanks, renee. sounds like cait is a a real trouper-good for her!!!

 

[rbear4]

She certainly is. I am real proud of her. Though she is also getting to me a teen,

lol.

 

[milkmommie]

I've researched it and am POSITIVE this is what my daughter has (DCD). So, I have you ladies to thank.

I've been searching for most of her life as to what her diagnosis might be and it's exciting to finally have an answer. I'm going to get to work straightaway on getting an official diagnosis.

DD had early intervention (including OT, PT and Speech Therapy) beginning at 2 and it's made a huge difference in her development. I can see how there are things that would have been a lot slower in improving without the extra help she recieved! So Proudly, it's good that your dd is already recieving therapy!

However, since dd started K, they have cut back A LOT on her services. She works at half the speed of her peers. We got lucky and had a very patient and understanding teacher. I just have to wonder how long our good luck will hold out. Of course the day we get a teacher who thinks dd is just lazy, is the day I flip my lid!! I don't know how the Ed. system in Canada works but having an official diagnosis is really important here. DD is so borderline that being able to walk in and demand an IEP for her Dyspraxia is a big deal!! Depending on how affected your dd is, she'll probably definately need accomodations as she gets into upper grades. I know my dd will.

There's no such thing as 'small potatoes' when it comes to our kids!! It's hard for any Mamma to see her child struggle no matter what the source of the problem is!

Think what a wonderful resource and support you'll be to your daughter as she grows with your personal experience of what she's going through!

 

[Proudly AP]

hey, mm, thanks for the kind words.

actually, my dd isn't in therapy yet. i work with ot's and asked one to assess dd as a favour. so, i am going to have to get her in line for therapy, though not many treatment centres here will treat dcd.

to top it all off, i am pretty sure that she also has ADHD. i showed the criteria to dh today (who was disbelieving- until we talked through them)....

so, he is going to call to make an appoinrment with our gp (without dd) to discuss the issues and what we/he needs to do to make the diagnoses.

i am feeling guilty because i suspected a year ago that something was up, but didn't listen to my intuition (darn, i really should know better than that!!!!). sigh.

i am stressed and sad thinking about the challenges that lay ahead. i know she is bright, and can go far, but i also know how much extra perseverance it'll take to get there.

i am so hoping that her teacher will be understanding. i am questioning whether to actually say anything before dd starts school in september, or wait for the teacher to form her own opinions. my fear in taking that approach, however, is that she may form a negative impression without understanding that dd does have special needs. on the other hand, i don't want to shoot dd in the foot, so to speak, by labeling her something that is not officially diagnosed (what if we are wrong, though i highly doubt it??!?!?!?)

okay, off to bed for me.

thanks, ladies!

 

[milkmommie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proudly AP i am feeling guilty because i suspected a year ago that something was up, but didn't listen to my intuition (darn, i really should know better than that!!!!). sigh..

I know that guilt!! I asked our pediatrician from the time that dd was 3 mos. to help me figure out why something seemed off with her. I got blown off for two years by many different care givers and did many things I now regret (failure to thrive @6 mos = weaned from the breast and on formula for counting calories).

Be kind to yourself, of course you're always doing the best for her that you can!!! No Mom is perfect or ever has all the answers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proudly AP i am stressed and sad thinking about the challenges that lay ahead. i know she is bright, and can go far, but i also know how much extra perseverance it'll take to get there.

We share this too. DD just had her second xray for scoliosis and I am TERRIFIED at the possibility of surgery to fuse her spine if it progresses too far in the next few years. I hate the thought that children will notice she is different because she talks slower. Make sure you're taking care of yourself and finding support for your worry and stress. You'll be better help to her if you're carefully looking out for yourself too.

Good luck!

 

[MindfulMama]

he has an IEP and is attending a small charter school, spent pre and K in Montessori. He is severe. He struggles writing, counting, with working memory, sequencing, so many things. I am style looking for appropriate educational setting. He has been turned down at private LD schools, because of borderline MIMR scores. He is a joyful, enthusiastic child, and is game for whatever is thrown his way. I am having a terrible time finding the right fit. The school he is in now is small, and provides speech and ot, and he has caring teachers, but their curriculum is not correct to his needs. It can be a very challenging journey, but maintaining his spirit has been my biggest goal. I know that the Lindamood Bell program LIPS helped when we could afford it, as well as Brain Gym, and I too love the books Out of Sync Child, I have also heard Smart Moves is important as well. He can be very defiant at home and it takes lots of creativity to fit in home "therapy", and extra homework time.
He stayed back in school and it has served him a little, but I think mostly because the schools do not know what to do with him. Hang in there. I found the rock climbing gym, Karate for Peace, and swimming very valuable programs, aside from OT 2 times a week and Speech twice a week as well.
But had to drop them all because I couldn't keep up with the cost. I'm experimenting with a Nintendo DS because it uses a stylus and seems to challenge him a little spatially while he has fun. I teach him to type using the Software READ WRITE AND TYPE the old version is amazing. We also use reading for the Blind and Dyslexic to get books on tape, as my husband and older son have reading disabilities as well. I'm always looking for suggestions as well. It can be a little lonely on this journey, I know.
It's amazing how helpful it is to know others are traveling your path as well.

 

[monkeysmum]

Not sure if it will help but my 11 yr old is using(software)Kurzwell as well as Dragon Naturally. He does all his schoolwork on a laptop, scanning anything he needs into his computer. while the typing isn't quite up to speed, both programs will help/assist with word selection and will read to him when he needs it.

 

[Lollybrat]

My 4.5 year old son has dyspraxia along with autism. He has delays in gross motor, fine motor, and oral motor skills. He gets ST and OT at school and privately. He also gets Adaptive Physical Education (APE) at school. We do year-round swim lessons for him, which he enjoys a great deal and it helps a lot with his coordination and muscle movements.

DS has a hard time with stuff like ball skills (throwing, catching, kicking), dressing/undressing (he couldn't even pull his socks off until he was 3.5), crayon and pencil skills, following motor directions, oral motor tasks like blowing bubbles and making faces, to name just a few things.

He is making very good progress at school and in therapy. But we know that learning new motor tasks will always be a challenge for him.