#actually dyspraxic

[voidmire-system-error]

shout out to clumsy people.

shout out to people with coordination issues.

shout out to people with dyspraxia.

shout out to people with apraxia.

shout out to people with muscle weakness.

shout out to people with paresis.

shout out to people with paralysis.

shout out to people with arthritis n/or joint deformities.

shout out to people with chronic pain whose pain makes it hard to control their movements.

shout out to people with chronic fatigue whose fatigue makes them hard to control their movements.

shout out to people with balance issues.

shout out to people with other conditions that make hard to control body n/or movements.

shout out to people who are undiagnosed n struggling with control movements.

it's not your fault. it's not your carelessness. you deserve support n accommodations. you shouldn't be judged or mocked. you deserve respect. your struggles deserve respect.

[ghostlyshoes]

"Autism gait" this "ADHD posture" that.

But do you know what Dyspraxia is? And are you normal about it.

[goodgriefnd]

Neurodivergent Passport

A wee update with some exciting news about My Neurodivergent Passport: a tool to communicate your needs, strengths, and sensory/communication profiles.

Following some feedback the passport has been updated.

You can now get a printed version of My Neurodivergent Passport! You can buy it here!

You can also get it as a free PDF on my blog.

[thatgenderfluidiot]

Is it just me or do any other neurodivergent people out there need to be told in far advance before being asked to do a chore or you freak out and cry or get really overwhelmed over it? Like my parents will be like “oh hey can you do *insert chore or task* today?” and I’ll just be like 🤯 today???? Idc that it’ll only take 15 minutes or less it was not on the agenda??? I have to work my way up to it I can’t just??? Do it without knowing about it for more than a day

[moss-opossum]

When I say "I would theoretically be interested in this activity, but I can't do it, my disabilities make it very difficult" and people try to be helpful by making half a dozen recommendations (not accessibility recommendations, just general advice), it shows they really don't get it.

If I desperately wanted to do that activity, yes, some of those suggestions might help. But I am not passionate enough about this one hobby to dedicate time, energy, and other resources to crawl my way towards proficiency in it (especially if it costs money or I would need to travel to do it!!!), and simultaneously deal with everything else I genuinely need to do (these actually necessary tasks are also exhausting!).

Additionally, at the end of the day, I would still struggle with that hobby, and that can be super disheartening for me. I don't think any of that should be expected if it's not something I want to go through.

I get that these people are trying to be helpful, but I often end up having to argue with them because they’re holding me to a standard that I cannot reach and don’t want to wear myself out for.

Disabled people absolutely can engage with hobbies that are difficult for us, but we should not be expected to force ourselves to do activities that push our very real limitations if we don’t want to. Asking us “is there a way we could make this more accessible?” is great, but please do not push us if we ever tell you “no” for something. We’ve likely already thought about it by the time we say no.

[binders-and-beanies]

Being disabled is like. Gets made fun of for being dependent on people. Gets made fun of for doing things for yourself. Gets made fun of for doing things for others. Gets made fun of by the people you’re doing things for. Gets made fun of for pointing out ableism. Gets called ableist for being disabled. Gets made fun of

[zebulontheplanet]

I was diagnosed with dyspraxia. A lot of people know it as the “clumsy disorder” but it’s a lot more and I think it has a lot to do with my speech.

It’s more then just the “clumsy disorder”. I’m more then clumsy. I have weak core muscles, I’m weak, I’m uncoordinated, I’m constantly running into things, I can’t grip a fork right, I spill food and get it all over myself

Yes, I’m clumsy, I drop things, spill things, etc. But it’s more then that. It affects me greatly and I think when people mark it just as “being clumsy” they are undermining a disorder that affects people greatly.

With my speech, I talk in a monotone, which is easier for me. I talk in simplified language and don’t use big words. I slur and stutter my words aswell,

I just realized this when I was talking about dyspraxia and I thought it’d be important to discuss.

[lesbian-disaster-academic]

Okay, I have a question for all the neurodivergents out there. A few mins ago, I was interacting publicly (reblogs, comments, etc.) with someone on another one of my sideblogs. And it occurred to me that, even though it's somewhat to a lesser degree, I'm still masking while on Tumblr dot com (a.k.a., Neurodivergent Central).

[icecreampotluck]

his, this is a fun little informational post! if you are writing a character that is a) ADHD(-coded) and b) clumsy, consider looking into

dyspraxia

also known as developmental coordination disorder, dyspraxia is a motor control and spatial awareness disorder that is HIGHLY comorbid with adhd. it can manifest as early as one year old, delaying a lot of the expected milestones in babies. beyond physical effects, dyspraxic people often struggle with ordering tasks in their brain, memory, and speech (but that one can be a combination of the ordering things AND the motor control). for the FIFTY PERCENT of dyspraxic people with adhd, these symptoms often are tied to the dopamine deficiency- i personally am clumsier when im sad or overwhelmed or understimulated (tonight i spilled flan juice in my crocs and then when i was walking home it was wet and sticky and awful and logically i knew if i walked faster i could get home and solve it but i physically couldn't move faster because the distress was aggravating my dyspraxia and so i had to focus very hard on Walking and not Falling) here are some things my dyspraxia makes me struggle with that I would love to see in characters like this!

handwriting! i basically can't do it at all, but for other it could be messy or a task they have to focus on

biking! balance is no bueno.

driving a car! a lot of dyspraxics don't have the spatial awareness to know where the car is

in the same vein: shopping carts.

holding things! i forget I'm holding them and then i let go unconsciously

knowing how big things are. I used to think cop shows were lying about people knowing how tall criminals were. now I have nightmares about witnessing a crime and being like "uhh. talller than me?" i also frequently pick a container that's way too big or way too small for the stuff I'm storing.

lefts and right! i still gotta do the finger L's.

another common things with dyspraxia is fatigue. we are putting more physical effort into the same tasks than non-dyspraxics. it's tiring, y'all.

if you have any questions, feel free to ask me! other dyspraxics, feel free to add on things that would make you feel Seen.

[paris-geller-was-straightwashed]

'that adhd feel of-' 'adhd is not being able to' 'adhd is when you forget-' you're describing executive dysfunction. that's...it's executive dysfunction. like I NEED you to understand this.

I don't think this is purposefully malicious but jesus fucking christ it's no wonder the ~neurodiverse~ community on here can feel super alienating. I'd fucking eat own shoe if any so-called 'neurospicy' (derogatory) blogs can name EVEN ONE other condition then either adhd or autism as part of neurodiversity. ppl think it starts and ends there - and what I find the most infuriating, is that one of the most common symptoms when it comes to diverse brains (aka executive dysfunction) is talked about like it's SOLELY for adhd.

look. I got dyspraxia and ocd - two things considered a part of the neurodiverse umbrella. I also have learning disabilities that have affected my whole school life, and memory issues that I've been explaining to people as to why I've already forgotten their name since I was a kid. YET, ocd is rarely talked about in neurodiverse circles or even considered, and I'll literally pay two bucks to anyone reading this who can tell me what dyspraxia is (who isn't a professional or someone who has it, and if you do have dyspraxia, then I am giving you a cookie and fist bump). yet often, when I see posts passed around talking about issues like poor motivation or time blindness or bad memory, I find a lot to relate to - bc executive dysfunction, in case anyone missed it, affects many, many conditions! you don't even have to be neurodiverse; it's known to affect those with anxiety and depression too! there's so much layover - yet, I will see, inevitably, the post attributed to adhd or possibly asd. frankly, it's both alienating to those with other neurodiverse conditions, and possibly misleading, even if unintentional, to say it's an 'adhd thing.' you guys run the market and it's over-saturated; I'm just asking for adhd/asd to share a piece of it's throne.

to be honest, as what's considered a 'neurodiverse person', I barely find any commonality within the community. yes, as mentioned above, I will relate to common shared symptoms like executive dysfunction, but it's a complete shut-out when we act like those symptoms are only attributed to one condition. frankly with my ocd, I find way more commonality in schizophrenia/paranoia/psychosis communities then in the ND one (I would never act or say I know what it's like to experience those conditions, but I can relate to the fear of some outside force telling you something horrible is going to/will happen), and with dyspraxia, even when we talk about it, it gets so little coverage and recognition it leaves the whole community a bit dry. if anyone gives a shit, then maybe shine the light on us and others kicked to the sides (ppl with learning disabilities, dysgraphia, language disorders, and those with schizophrenia/affective disorders like I mentioned earlier, who are so often vilified by ppl online and on this site). we all struggle with executive dysfunction and a million other layover symptoms, and the nerotypical world is just as hard for us to navigate even if no one is bothering to listen.

I'm rambling at this point. everyone just..do better and actually recognize the 'diversity' in 'neurodiverse.'

[wheresernie]

Big family meals and food holidays are hard for me because of my tremors and dyspraxia.

So shout out to people with tremors, motor disorders and coordination disorders, muscle weakness and nerve damage in hands and face, people with dysphagia.

We deserve a good holiday too, even if we're not talked about often

[dorianbrightmusic]

okay, minor vent, but can we take a moment to consider how genuinely unnerving having dyspraxia can be? there’s nothing quite as awful as knowing you have to go somewhere after getting off the bus, and that it’s not vaguely in the vicinity, but beyond that, you have no clue how far away you are, nor which way to go. you know you’re in the wrong place, but don’t know where the hell to start to find the right one. there’s something incredibly disconcerting about getting lost in the same city you’ve lived in all your life, especially when it’s barely a city so much as a gangly town with limbs too long to befit its old name. it’s genuinely frustrating to have no idea where you are relative to another place, and all you can do is keep walking and try not to feel.

i know that the existence of gps eliminates any major risks associated with this, but even so, it’s incredibly unsettling.

[ghostlyshoes]

I really wish the neurodivergent community would treat specific learning disabilities (dyscalculia, dyspraxia, dyslexia, dysgraphia etc.) as full forms of neurodivergency in their own right. Instead of just "traits" of autism or "co-occurrences" with autism.

Just because there is some overlap, it doesn't make them the same. This is the stuff that causes people with them to be overlooked and spoken over.

[fruit-flavored-tree-creature]

i went to a new specialist doctor a few days ago for my shitty bones and. i got diagnosed with severe depression? i did not expect that….

anyway they prescribed me a pill that blocks nerve pain and is an antidepressant at the same time!!! and i picked up my prescription today!! i’ll take it for the first time tonight so… wish me luck!!! i hope i can start walking without excruciating pain soon, maybe i’ll even be able to play the piano again! i’m feeling optimistic for the first time in a long time ^^

also i’m getting aquatic physical therapy and that is satisfying the octopus in me :]

[listen-to-the-inner-walrus]

one of the worst parts of being dyspraxic is when you can just tell that people dont believe you.

its like: youre playing a video game because you previously told someone youre not good at that kind of gameplay and they think you just need to practice so theyre going to teach you because they know you can do it and maybe you just need support or encouragement or a better guide.

but you still cant do it and you knew that which is why you told them that in the first place but they didnt listen because for them, the game is easy once youve practiced it so its obviously the same for you, and youve done this song and dance enough times to know that its easier to go along with it.

the song and dance never changes though. and now youre frustrating them because you arent doing it and they dont understand because its easy to do so it must be your fault. youre not trying hard enough or youre not listening to them or youre trying to run before you can walk, etc.

and you try to explain it to them, that your brain doesnt work like that and that it confuses your brain too much and that you just cant do it.

they dont believe you, you know they dont. its not even a malicious thing most of the time, its just that they dont understand how you can be that bad at video games.

you tell them its the dyspraxia but they dont know what dyspraxia is, and isnt it ableist to say that there are things a disabled person cant do anyway?

at some point, you go through this cycle enough times that it becomes a dull ache so familiar to you that its anchored into your bone marrow.

[goodgriefnd]

How Common is Neurodivergence?

[image id: poster of "How Common is Neurodivergence?.” There are 12 circles and five small images: an image of a brain, speech bubbles, an infinity sign, a person reading, and a person surrounded by arrows and balls. Each of the 12 circles has a percentage representing how common a particular form of neurodivergence is written in Open Dyslexic font. Full transcript, more information, and references under the cut.]

More Information

Forms of neurodivergence represented here are focused on neurodevelopmental disorders.

These percentages are representative of percentage in general population and do not reflect percentages within neurotypes which are often higher due to co-occurrence being the norm, rather than the exception, within neurodevelopmental disorders; for example, 33-45% of people with ADHD will also have dyslexia (Butterworth & Kovas, 2013), whereas only 10% of the general population are dyslexic (British Dyslexia Association [BDA], 2023).

Certain neurodivergencies are often underrepresented and under-reported, so the percentages are likely to be higher; for example, one study suggests that rates for FASD in the UK may be as high as 17% (McQuire et al., 2019).

Some of the neurodivergencies represented here are umbrella terms and percentages given are representative of all forms of neurodiversity belonging to that term; for example, SpLds include dyslexia which is at a rate of 10% (BDA, 2023) and dyscalculia which is at 3-7% (Haberstroh & Schulte-Körne., 2019). Tic Disorders at 1% are another example here, as this is inclusive of Tourette Syndrome which is at 0.6%, and around 1 in 5 individuals exhibit tics at some point during childhood (Cavanna et al., 2017).

______________

Transcript in Full

1% Intellectual Disability

10% Language Disorder

4% Speech Sound Disorder

5% Stuttering

7.5% Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder

1.7% Autism

5% ADHD

10% Specific Learning Disorder (SpLD)

5% Developmental Co-Ordination Disorder (DCD)

3-4% Stereotypic Movement Disorder

1% Tic Disorders

3.6% Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)

______________

Sources

American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th Ed., Text Rev.).

Arvidsson, O., Gillberg, C., Lichtenstein, P., & Lundström, S. (2018). Secular changes in the symptom level of clinically diagnosed autism. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 59(7), 744–751.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). PsychDB. (2022, November 29).

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). PsychDB. (2022, May 19).

Butterworth, B., & Kovas, Y. (2013). Understanding neurocognitive developmental disorders can improve education for all. Science, 340(6130), 300–305.

Cavanna, A. E., Coffman, K.A., Cowley, H., Fahn, S., Franklin, M. E., Gilbert, D.L., Hershey, T.G., Jankovic, J., Jones, M., Leckman, J.F., Lehman, R., Mathews, C.A., Malaty, I., McNaught, K., Mink, J.W., Okun, M.S., Rowe, J.A., Scahill, L.D., Scharf, J.M., Schlaggar, B.L., Stewart, E., Walkup, J.T., Woods, D.W.. (2017). The spectrum of Tourette Syndrome and TIC disorders: A consensus by Scientific Advisors of the Tourette Association of America. Tourette Association of America.

British Dyslexia Association. (2023). Dyslexia. British Dyslexia Association.

Dyspraxia at a glance. Dyspraxia Foundation. (2023).

Haberstroh, S., & Schulte-Körne, G. (2019). The Diagnosis and Treatment of Dyscalculia. Deutsches Arzteblatt International, 116(7), 107–114.

Ketelaars, M. P., Cuperus, J. M., van Daal, J., Jansonius, K., & Verhoeven, L. (2009). Screening for pragmatic language impairment: The potential of the Children’s Communication Checklist. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 30(5), 952–960.

May, P. A., Baete, A., Russo, J., Elliott, A. J., Blankenship, J., Kalberg, W. O., Buckley, D., Brooks, M., Hasken, J., Abdul-Rahman, O., Adam, M. P., Robinson, L. K., Manning, M., & Hoyme, H. E. (2014). Prevalence and characteristics of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Pediatrics, 134(5), 855–866.

McQuire, C., Mukherjee, R., Hurt, L., Higgins, A., Greene, G., Farewell, D., Kemp, A., & Paranjothy, S. (2019). Screening prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in a region of the United Kingdom: A population-based birth-cohort study. Preventive Medicine, 118, 344–351.

Norbury, C. F., Gooch, D., Wray, C., Baird, G., Charman, T., Simonoff, E., Vamvakas, G., & Pickles, A. (2016). The impact of nonverbal ability on prevalence and clinical presentation of language disorder: Evidence from a population study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 57(11), 1247–1257.

Polanczyk, G. V., Willcutt, E. G., Salum, G. A., Kieling, C., & Rohde, L. A. (2014). ADHD prevalence estimates across three decades: an updated systematic review and meta-regression analysis. International Journal of Epidemiology, 43(2), 434–442.

Polanczyk, G., de Lima, M. S., Horta, B. L., Biederman, J., & Rohde, L. A. (2007). The worldwide prevalence of ADHD: A systematic review and metaregression analysis. American Journal of Psychiatry, 164(6), 942–948.

Prevalence and Therapy Rates for Stuttering, Cluttering, and Developmental Disorders of Speech and Language: Evaluation of German Health Insurance Data. (2021). Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 15(645292), 1–13.

Social (pragmatic) communication disorder. PsychDB. (2021, March 29).

Stereotypic movement disorder. United Brain Association. (2022, August 8).

Wren, Y., Miller, L. L., Peters, T. J., Emond, A., & Roulstone, S. (2016). Prevalence and predictors of persistent speech sound disorder at eight years old: Findings from a population cohort study. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 59(4), 647–673.

UCL. (2013, April 19). Learning disabilities affect up to 10 per cent of children. UCL News.