Dyspraxia

A neurological disorder that is characterized by a partial loss of the ability to plan and perform coordinated movements in the absence of any associated defect in motor or sensory functions. People who have dyspraxia often find it difficult to learn physical movements and adapt them to different situations; and even when the movements are learned, they are often executed without confidence or coordination. Unlike unitary disorders like measles or chicken pox where people who are affected all share a common set of symptoms, dyspraxia affects each person in different ways at different ages and stages of development and to different degrees. It can affect the development of gross motor skills like walking or jumping or fine motor skills such as the hand movements needed to write clearly and the mouth and tongue movements needed to pronounce words correctly. Some children only have verbal dyspraxia, while others only have motor dyspraxia. It is not uncommon for both types to be present in the same person.