Girls with dyspraxia may be “slipping through the net”

A LOCAL campaigner is calling for greater awareness of dyspraxia among women and girls as a new survey shows they may be “slipping through the net.”
Jonathan Levy, from Appleton is a trustee of the Dyspraxia Foundation – the only national charity dedicated to raising awareness of the condition.
He is helping to spread the word about a new survey commissioned by the Foundation which has revealed a significant gap in the diagnosis – and therefore treatment – of dyspraxia, otherwise known as developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD) between male and female.
The poll showed that more than half (53 per cent) of all female respondents said their primary school teachers were unaware of their difficulties (compared to 39 per cent of the males questioned).
Similarly, 47 per cent of teenage girls reported the same situation in secondary school, as opposed to 32 per cent of males.
Experts from the Dyspraxia Foundation believe the findings may reflect teachers’ perceptions of dyspraxia as a largely “male” disorder, leaving girls often overlooked in the classroom.
It may also be possible that girls with dyspraxia are simply better at masking their difficulties by putting in extra effort and recruiting the assistance of friends to help them cope.
Once cruelly and incorrectly referred to as “clumsy child” syndrome, dyspraxia/DCD is a common disorder affecting fine and/or gross motor coordination, in both children and adults.
Many individuals may also experience difficulties with memory, perception and processing, along with poor planning, organisation and sequencing skills which can have a significant, negative impact on everyday activities. Dyspraxia can also affect articulation and speech.
Sally Payne, paediatric occupational therapist and trustee of the Dyspraxia Foundation said: “This survey really has underlined a pattern we’ve observed for some time and whilst the results do reinforce a concerning trend of many girls sliding under the radar of relevant healthcare professionals, it does allow us to push on with plans for developing specific materials, tools and resources for girls and adolescents as well as for their parents and teachers.
“In many ways, it is testament to the resilience, coping mechanisms and ‘emotional intelligence’ of females that they are seemingly able to disguise some of the difficulties that might be more obvious in boys. But sadly, as they get older, issues such as developing social skills, applying make-up, choosing clothes and coping with personal hygiene and periods may become harder to cope with and will inevitably make situations such as starting college, leaving home or finding a job difficult and exhausting. Through our helpline and social media platforms, we have heard of many cases where anxiety, self-doubt and a severe lack of confidence can soon set in. However, this could so easily be avoided by early diagnosis and intervention.”