How our journey began...

Not too long after the start of Aidan's kindergarten year, Ms. Mabry, a wonderful kindergarten teacher with lots of experience, called me in for a parent conference and very gently told me that she was concerned about his motor skills.  His coloring and cutting skills were not improving and, while other children were learning how to write letters correctly, his writing was illegible and his drawings were immature.  He was clumsy, fell a lot for no apparent reason, and would sometimes just fall out of his chair (he wasn't being silly).  As a Speech Language Pathologist, I was determined that  my children would have age appropriate verbal skills and a good grasp of early concepts, and I thought I had prepared him for school.  How had I missed the fact that his motor skills weren't developing as they should?  Looking back, I can see the signs from infancy and toddlerhood...delays in sitting up on his own, not crawling, not walking until 16 months, trouble learning how to pedal a tricycle, constantly bumping into things, and sensory and sleep issues, just to name a few.

My husband and I decided to start with an Occupational Therapy evaluation and the OT agreed that his fine and gross motor skills were delayed.  She mentioned dyspraxia and suggested that we see a neurologist to rule out any other neurological issues.  I will NEVER forget the day that the neurologist told us that Aidan had dyspraxia. Even though the OT had already said it, and even though I had a file full of information on dyspraxia in my bag, there was still that moment where I felt my heart breaking and I cried when we got to the car.  I know it could have been something much worse, but it was something my beautiful, smart boy would always have to overcome.

That was 9 years ago...what a journey it has been!  I know that getting help for him early has made such a difference.  Teachers, please talk to parents if you have concerns.  Some may take it better than others, but it is so important to let them know.  Parents, listen to the teacher if they share concerns about your child.  Don't let pride or fear keep you from acknowledging that your child might have a problem and getting the help he or she needs to be successful.

I keep thinking back to something the neurologist said that day.  He said, "He will never have neat handwriting and he will never be a ballerina."  At the time, I thought it was a very strange thing to say, but I am pretty sure he was telling us that Aidan would struggle with some things, but he was going to be okay.  You know what?  He was right.



For more information on dyspraxia and the early signs, visit http://www.dyspraxiausa.org/symptoms/early-symptoms/