Member-only story
Living With Dyspraxia
This article was originally published in the summer of 2018 on the Pens & Needles website. Pens and Needles is an online magazine specializing in patient perspectives on living with chronic illnesses and conditions. I met the editor of the website when I accompanied my husband, along with the founder of the #insulin4all movement, on a trip to Washington D.C. The editor of the website is Audrey Farley, and her writing is worth checking out. She also has a book coming out in the spring of 2021. Special thanks to EPS Communications CEO, Rick Jaffe for helping me get a hard copy edition of the original article.
My brain sometimes works like dial-up internet. With extremely specific tasks, such as navigating directions from point A to B or doing a complex DIY activity or dance move, I need an extra few minutes or more to process these tasks. If you give me a bit of extra time, I’ll pick up on the fact that I should move in a specific direction, or in a specific way, at a specific time. But if there are a lot of distractions and pressure, the information won’t process properly.
My brain has developed a brilliant way to compensate for this challenge. I only have to navigate somewhere or learn an activity that requires complex fine and gross motor skills once; my brain will photographically memorize the steps required for the next occasion.
Still, there are days when doors are unintentionally closed in peoples’ faces, and I’ll forget what someone told me moments ago. It’s also quite normal for me to get lost on my way to destinations I’ve been travelling to for years because of a subtle change in the environment, such as the disappearance of a statue, sign, or building. And there are other things that come with Dyspraxia that continue to be part of my life.
What is Dyspraxia?
Most people do not really know what it is when I tell them that I have it. So, here is the Dyspraxia Foundation definition:
“Dyspraxia, a form of developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a common disorder affecting fine and/or gross motor coordination in children and adults.”
Despite the fact that Dyspraxia and its symptoms are not common knowledge, you likely know someone with the condition. Even if you don’t know someone with Dyspraxia, you’ve probably…
