According to The Independent, people with Dyspraxia are slow underachievers but that’s not true.

I was diagnosed with Dyspraxia 26 years ago and sharing my experiences is an important part of my advocacy efforts. Recently, one of my tweets was quoted in Lisa Salmon’s March 26th article in the independent, How to Spot the Signs That Your Child Has Undiagnosed Disorders.

My tweet was used in this article without my permission, and the context in which it was used requires further elaboration. In that tweet, I admitted that I reached milestones like tying my shoelaces and riding a bike slower than my non-Dyspraxic peers.

Tasks that require coordination and spatial awareness will always follow similar patterns, but my words were used to justify a claim that all Dyspraxics are “slow”, “delayed”, and “underachieving”. Narratives like these are the reason why so many neurodiverse people’s family members, employers, health care providers, and friends don’t take neurodiversity seriously. Far too many of my neurodiverse friends have experienced healthcare providers, bureaucrats, employers, and educators who have refused care because they aren’t someone else’s idea of disabled or neurodiverse. Fitting in and thriving is the goal, but this isn’t achievable unless our needs are taken seriously.