actuallydyspraxic

[actuallydyspraxic]

shout out to clumsy people.

shout out to people with coordination issues.

shout out to people with dyspraxia.

shout out to people with apraxia.

shout out to people with muscle weakness.

shout out to people with paresis.

shout out to people with paralysis.

shout out to people with arthritis n/or joint deformities.

shout out to people with chronic pain whose pain makes it hard to control their movements.

shout out to people with chronic fatigue whose fatigue makes them hard to control their movements.

shout out to people with balance issues.

shout out to people with other conditions that make hard to control body n/or movements.

shout out to people who are undiagnosed n struggling with control movements.

it's not your fault. it's not your carelessness. you deserve support n accommodations. you shouldn't be judged or mocked. you deserve respect. your struggles deserve respect.

[actuallydyspraxic]

hi, is it possible to be autistic and have dyspraxia?

I'm unsure whether it's to do with being autistic or if it is dyspraxia.

i struggle with alot of things, i need help getting dressed because it takes me so long and i find it really hard to do, i need help bathing and i also have to wear a bib when eating anything that can stain because i spill foods down me. i can't cook because I'm quite dangerous doing so... i look very unsafe doing it. i write okay, i have good handwriting and i love drawing but maybe thats because it's always been a big special interest of mine. i do hold my pen very strangely though and that causes me pain. i can't cut things without it being wonky, i strugglw with buttons and zips and i can't tie shoe laces. i managed to learn to swim and use a bike but that took years of practise (alot longer than everyone else) but i still hate them as i find them so hard. people tell me i make everything look so hard and thats because i find everything hard :( I've always had very bad problems in p.e because i couldn't do it, i can't run properly or jump, i can't catch or throw and i used to cry or have a panic attack or meltdown every p.e lesson. when I'm walking i bump into things and can't walk in a straight line. i get words muddled up alot when speaking. i struggle remembering things unless they're in front of me. does this sound like dyspraxia?

Apologies for the late reply, but yes that does sound like you're dyspraxic to me.

With regards to autism, yes, it is possible to have both, and autistics are actually considerably more likely to be dyspraxic than the general population! According to the Dyspraxia Foundation, around 80% of autistic people present with movement difficulties that are consistent with a dyspraxia diagnosis.

#dyspraxia #autism #comorbidities

[actuallydyspraxic]

Would it be ableist or otherwise insensitive for me to buy a cane despite not being physically disabled?

Im neurodivergent and because of that, I have poor posture, and because of my posture, I've developed some back problems that make standing and walking around for long periods of time difficult to accomplish without some sort of assistance.

Ive looked into it and i think buying a cane would help, but i don't want it to seem like im faking a disability or taking up resources i don't need

Poor posture that causes back problems that prevent you from standing and walking without assistance is, um, physically disabled, dear anon.

Even if it wasn't, canes are literally 5-25$ at the store depending on exact brand and type, they're mass produced, and they're a common enough accessory that truly I think you're thinking way too hard about it.

If you think you'll walk better with a cane, buy a cane.

[actuallydyspraxic]

"Autism gait" this "ADHD posture" that.

But do you know what Dyspraxia is? And are you normal about it.

[actuallydyspraxic]

I recently learned about dyspraxia (as a 27 year old) and I've been in tears over finally seeing my life described so accurately. I hit literally every single "symptom" listed on several resources. I know it's self-diagnosing, but I'm 100% positive I have dyspraxia, because it was like reading an autobiography. But I'm wondering- is it worth jumping thru the hoops to get a dx as an adult? Would it do anything practical for me? It costs a lot to go to a specialist, and the waiting lists are long.

That... depends on how it affects you, really? You might be able to ask for accomodations at work should you need them (and if you're a student it would enable you to get DSA), but that really depends on your specific situation.

#dyspraxia #diagnosis

[actuallydyspraxic]

My child is 6 and very likely dyspraxic. I have asked several pediatricians about Dyspraxia and who can evaluate for it and none have pointed me to a person who actually does. He got early intervention but everyone was like "well it's not autism so it's nothing" and suspended his services. It's been very frustrating not being able to get him help. What kind of doctor or specialist should I look for?

Hi, I'm not sure how long this has been sitting in the askbox, we aren't super active anymore. If you're in the UK, it would usually be though an occupational therapist, or an educational psychologist if it's affecting your son at school (handwriting, PE, etc). I'm not sure about in other parts of the world.

It would probably be worth discussing it with your son's school not just his pediatrician as often SENCOs mights be able to make reccomendations or referrals. Again, this is assuming you're in the UK.

Its also worth remembering that some places prefer to use the term Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) rather than dyspraxia.

#dyspraxia

[actuallydyspraxic]

GUYS

I just discovered something amazing

So, as an autistic and ADHD person, I am an actual disaster, and so have the horrible combination of a shitty memory and executive dysfunction. Meaning that I have the worst time remembering to do literally anything, and about half the time, even when I remember to do it, it just doesn’t. Get done. Because my brain says “nope, what task? There’s no task here!”

But guys

I’ve been trying to find a task manager type thing for my phone for actual months to try and get some of this under control because my trash brain just does. Not. Remember to check the planner? So Phone Reminders right? Except the actual Reminders app doesn’t like me, and the Calendar app on the phone already doesn’t like me either (plug in a million pieces of information!)

So with school back in session (I’m starting college, so this is EXTRA important now) I needed to figure something out (especially since I’m trying to convince my parents, namely my dad, that I’m a Responsible Adult who can be trusted with things like Privacy and Autonomy) to remind myself!

And I was poking around today and found something called My Study Life.

This

This thing is a free app - and by that, I mean it’s actually free. No subscriptions, no free trial and then buy the app, none of that. It’s actually just download and go. You have to make an account (but it’s actually a free thing).

It’s specifically designed for school, but I can imagine you can use it for anything you need to schedule. It’s also really easy to use and doesn’t have a million things that are extra distracting. You open the app and it takes you to a dashboard which has a) your classes/scheduled things for that day, b) an idea of the classes/scheduled things for the next day, c) REMINDERS OF ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE NEXT DAY, and d) any exams the next day. Now. Right next to this on the dash is a tab for tasks. This tab tells you if you have any upcoming tasks (reminders, assignments, stuff like that) in the NEXT THREE DAYS. Which is GREAT for me, who, again, has a shitty memory and needs constant reminders.

It then will also remind you to do this stuff. It will remind you before a class. It will remind you before an exam. You can set a time to remind you to do tasks. It’s great.

I needed to scream about this because school is weird and hard and organization is even harder when your brain is as effective at organizing as an actual piece of stone.

[actuallydyspraxic]

I’m an assistant teacher at a preschool (our kiddos are age 6 weeks-5 years and are grouped by age). I was sitting on the carpet with my class of 3-5 year olds and one of them climbed in my lap and another asked to sit on me too. I was feeling really overwhelmed and I said this without thinking, and I asked him “do you know what that means?” And he nodded like he wanted me to tell him, so I said “it means that things feel like too much and I just need a little break” and he smiled and said ok. I got him to sit next to me and hold my hand and we were both happy with that.

It just blows my mind how understanding kids can be. All I had to do was explain on his level and he was okay. Part of working with kids is teaching them that we’re all humans and we all have feelings and needs. I try to give them what they need but also try to help them understand that I have limits too.

(Also I’m rereading and this story sounds totally fake but kids are smarter than people realize, and they can be so emotionally intelligent)

[actuallydyspraxic]

Has anyone ever found that the older they get the less tolerant they are of certain sounds?. In the last sort of 6 months I cannot stand people whistling, clicking their mouths/tongues which my son does a lot. I used to enjoy going to football games but unsure how I'll cope now with the fans whistling with their fingers and of course the referee with his whistle 😫

(It could be a form of burnout, if your experiencing other symptoms increasing as well)

[actuallydyspraxic]

Does anyone have the utter inability to pack a lunch? I can plan a regular meal just fine, but like packing food to take with me somewhere? Too stressful, can’t do it.

I actually can’t really do that either, except for things like taking a protein shake/protein bar with me.

[actuallydyspraxic]

What sort of exercises would you recommend for dyspraxic people who want to stay in shape but struggle with copying the exercises people demonstrate.

Dance around your house on your own and carry bags everywhere for weight training. Walk a lot. Go to children’s playgrounds in the middle of the night. Rhythm games (Beat Saber is great).

I’ve also really enjoyed aerial hoop.

[actuallydyspraxic]

Do I still have dyspraxia? I don't have any balancing or walking issues, but I struggle with simple things like learning to tie my hair, a balloon, or a trash can, use a knife without cutting myself, fold clothes and blankets, snap and unsnap things into place.

Potentially? It sounds like you have trouble with fine motor skills but not gross motor, which can still be a form of dyspraxia. I would say it depends on the severity and how long you’ve had trouble with these things for.

[actuallydyspraxic]

hi, i was wondering if people who have hypotonia have dyspraxia as well? i looked up the symptoms and they look almost the same.

I don’t know a huge amount about hypotonia, but from my research it looks like its basically a developmental lack of muscle tone. Many dyspraxics have this - and wikipedia lists dyspraxia as a potential cause or comorbidity - but not all of us, and not all people with hypotonia are dyspraxic as it is also found in (abridged list) Down Syndrome, Williams Syndrome, Sensory Processing Disorder, Hypothyroidism, and Cerebral Palsy. Hypotonia can have many causes, and dyspraxia is a neurodevelopmental condition with more features than just the physical, despite the amount of overlap in symptoms.

[actuallydyspraxic]

to other dyspraxic people,

do you ever tap your pencil and accidentally fling it across the room? So far it defies logic? 

[actuallydyspraxic]

I gotta ask, how do people, like, do stuff???

#executive dysfunction

[actuallydyspraxic]

6 mental health friendly quarantine tips 🌟

1) Change activities throughout the day.

They don't have to be 'big' things, it's ok if you don't have the capacity to do a lot right now. But switching activities from watching TV to drawing for example or walking around/sitting in the garden, or even just making a cup of tea can help stop that strange lethargic feeling (you know, the 'ugh I've done nothing today') or sometimes disassociation that can happen if you're just doing one thing by yourself for a long time.

So when your thoughts try and tell you've done nothing, you can go actually no, I've done enough.

2) Count the small victories

Try not to get stuck in the thought of not 'achieving enough'. If you made it through the day, congratulations, you've achieved something. When I was in my worst stages of isolation, I would make a list at the end of each day of my achievements. For example: messaged a friend, did some colouring, brushed my cat, made myself a cup of tea, found a new TV show that I like

3) Reconsider what it means to be 'productive'.

I don't know your personal situation; it may well be that you have commitments you will still need to fulfill right now. But it's easy, especially with all the stuff we can see online or what we think others are doing, to have very high standards for ourselves and all we 'should' be doing. Often, these things may not be as important as we think.

Depending on your circumstances, it could be worth making a list of your current 'obligations' and considering which are really essential and which are things you feel you 'should' be doing but which you could afford to set aside for a bit. For example, taking care of your child, feeding the dog or doing that work from home is probably not negotiable (I don't know your situation, maybe someone can help you or you can get some support) but 'mastering' that new skill, starting that new regime... (whatever it is people who aren't chronically ill usually do idk).. if you don't have the space for it right now and it can afford to wait, consider if it really belongs on the priority list for now.

4) Sometimes you will do things just for the sake of passing the time. And that's ok.

There doesn't have to be an 'end goal'. You don't have to be good at it. Sometimes you will do things just for the sake of having something to do, and there is no shame in that. Remember that stress is really tiring. You might find you're getting tired even if you don't think you're doing lots. Don't beat yourself up.

5) Find things that absorb you. You know, those things you do for no particular reason. Don't put any pressure on these things. Some of my favourites:

Puzzles

Colouring

Knitting

Baking

Sticker books

Researching a random topic

Making a mood board

Learning/playing a card game

Reading comics (if you don't have any, you can find webtoons online and I will also post some links to free comic sites later on)

Watching a TV series or favourite film

6) Keep talking to people.

It's ok to be scared, but don't keep it all to yourself. Talk to friends on the phone or through video chat if you can, or connect with online support groups. Even just joining chats about your favourite band or show can help with feeling less lonely (of course be sure to practice online safety, there are always strange people even in nice parts of the internet. Check that apps or sites are moderated and have safety measures in place, and check with someone you trust if you're not sure)

Some helpful apps:

7 cups of tea

Calm

Headspace (currently offering free content due to Coronavirus)

Calm Harm

Nextdoor (connect with neighbours and locals, lots of people are offering help on there)

Amino

The Mighty

The Tiredgirl society

Discord

For Kpop fans: Vlive, Weverse

[actuallydyspraxic]

typing your password when you’re dyspraxic like ‘fjkd P jsdsks A S sdkjkd S ddj W jddfk O djdk RD’

#dyspraxia