Q: My son is now in Grade 2 and I am concerned that he is being picked on because he is clumsy. He is always falling, tripping over things and dropping things. My other two children were not like this. He is good at learning but he has a lot of problems with sports and physical activities. I have talked to the teachers about him, but they say that I should not be concerned because he will grow out of it. What do you suggest?
A: Pediatricians are well aware of a condition known as
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dyspraxia or “clumsy child syndrome.” It was first described in medical literature as early as 1947. It is a neurological condition, present from birth that is related to attention deficit disorder and Aspberger’s syndrome.
Dyspraxia is not thought to be caused by brain damage, but by an immaturity of the brain cells in certain parts of the brain that control movement and co-ordination. It is defined as difficulty with planning and carrying out sensory or motor tasks. There are actually many forms of this disorder that a neurologist can explain to you in more detail.
Looking back, you may have noticed certain differences in your child even as a one-year-old. The affected child is often late in achieving developmental stages such as crawling, walking and talking, but perhaps not enough to draw the attention of the family doctor or health clinic.
A little later there is difficulty with climbing steps and playground ladders and frequent falls. The child might be slower to get dressed and may have difficulty tying shoelaces and doing up zippers. He might be clumsy with his use of cutlery.
At your son’s present age, you may notice he has problems riding a bike or throwing and catching a ball. This will make him unpopular in team sports with both the coach and other children.
He is most likely a little slow at reading and he will have untidy handwriting that gets him into trouble with the teachers. There may be trouble understanding and remembering multiple or complicated instructions.
You can see that dyspraxia leads to many types of behaviour that are socially unacceptable and will get your son into trouble both at school and at home.
These children are often labelled lazy or unco-operative, but it is not their fault. Sometimes schools blame the parents for poor parenting, but it is not their fault either.
Unfortunately, children do not ever completely grow out of clumsy child syndrome. Without intervention they may grow up to become anxious, awkward adults. It is important that your son gets professional help as soon as possible, so that he can catch up with his peers in some areas of physical activity.
You should start by seeing a pediatrician to confirm the diagnosis. He may in turn recommend an occupational therapist and make suggestions to the school for extra help with tasks where your son has the most difficulty.
Perhaps you could show this column to his teachers so they understand the problem better and can explain it to the other children in his class. I find that children are not as likely to bully another child if they are aware of an existing handicap or illness. They do not tend to pick on blind or deaf children or those in wheelchairs because the disability is obvious to them.
Conditions such as dyspraxia may simply be seen as socially unacceptable to other children who are unaware that these problems exist.
In Canada, there is no specific organization for dyspraxia. In the U.K. there is a website that might be useful for further information at www.dyspraxiaconnexion.org.uk.
Clare Rowson is a retired medical doctor living near Belleville, Ont. Her columns are intended for general information only. Individuals are encouraged to also seek the advice of their own doctor regarding medical questions and treatments.
