the many, many different ways in which dyspraxia affects people i find can make it very difficult to properly explain to people what dyspraxia actually is especially in a more general/everyday setting when you have a limited amount of time in a conversation and when i have time to actually think about explaining dyspraxia i tend to describe it as a "learning" disability (or neurodiversity) that affects people both physically and mentally (learning etc.) and if i am able to i also add that dyspraxia affects different people in different ways which is accurate but probably doesn't mean that much to many people as it is still quite vague and doesn't really explain how it affects people or what the affect on people is, which is where we get into the explanations that only seems to focus on one thing which would be fine if you had time but could possibly lead to misconceptions that all dyspraxic people have poor handwriting, are clumsy etc. etc. but that misses out the difficulties with organisation, planning, memory and probably the biggest factor that people with dyspraxia think and learn in different ways which is quite hard to explain in itself.
this explaining dyspraxia in regular conversation setting is something i sometimes struggle with because i find a lot of the time after i mention one thing the other person moves the conversation on or have to go and do something else which means there is a possibility that person leaves thinking that dyspraxia only affects co-ordination or is just physical difficulties rather than having a very basic understanding of the condition as a whole.
my advice to anyone else who perhaps has difficulty with explaining what dyspraxia is to others is to
1. try and keep it short if you have and just give an overview
2. however dont focus on one aspect or just the struggles
3. direct or encourage them to look online for information aswell
and if you can know a little about that person(s) you're talking to e.g. if there a teacher or work in an environment with children or disability in general as you may be able to focus the explanation
if people reading this have a way to explain dyspraxia quickly that works for you share them in the comments below as it may make it easier for others.
My *template* for explaining (or sharing knowledge of) anything to anyone looks like this:
ReplyDelete*1.* Give an outline of the knowledge
*2.* Give one example if there is either time or an interest in the knowledge
*3.* Offer a complete explanation or a resource if there is either an interest or if their circumstances require it.
*E.g.*
Delete*1.* "Dyspraxia means we process the world around us differently than most people do.
It influences how we perceive our environment and it influences the paths those perceptions take from our senses to our understanding. So, because we now understand the world from a different angle than most people, we also communicate with other people from this different point of understanding. Our differences show in how we learn, how we move our bodies, how we talk to others, and how we solve problems."
*2.* "You know what... this sounded a bit vague. But it's an absolutely accurate explanation. If you had the time, I would have given you an example or two." (Que either their thank you or their protestations that of course they have time and you should go ahead)
*2.b.* Give an example, e.g. Walking into door handles and table corners or taking longer to process new information and describe, by using your initial outline of the knowledge, why that example happens in your life.
*3.* If they ask more questions, feel free to expand on the knowledge by giving more examples.
*3.b.* If you started this whole conversation because you noticed that either they or their children are very obviously dyspraxic but doesn't realise it, say that you think their circumstances might require them to learn more about the topic and offer either a further discussion or a resource where they can find out more in their own time and at their own pace.