Thanks everyone for the responses. It is particularly helpful to see the lists of yes/no for symptoms on the list for kids who have the diagnosis. I got the list from the dyspraxia foundation website (a UK site.). Here's the link
http://www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/services/gu_symptoms.php Here is the complete list of symptoms that they provide for younger kids too:
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The symptoms
By 3 years old
Symptoms are evident from an early age. Babies are usually irritable from birth and may exhibit significant feeding problems.
They are slow to achieve expected developmental milestones. For example, by the age of eight months they still may not sit independently.
Many children with dyspraxia fail to go through the crawling stages, preferring to 'bottom shuffle' and then walk. They usually avoid tasks which require good manual dexterity.
Pre-school children - 3 to 5 year olds
If dyspraxia is not identified, problems can persist and affect the childís life at school. Increasing frustration and lowering of self-esteem can result.
Children with dyspraxia may demonstrate some of these types of behaviour:
Very high levels of motor activity, including feet swinging and tapping when seated, hand-clapping or twisting. Unable to stay still
High levels of excitability, with a loud/shrill voice
May be easily distressed and prone to temper tantrums
May constantly bump into objects and fall over
Hands flap when running
Difficulty with pedalling a tricycle or similar toy
Lack of any sense of danger (jumping from heights etc)
Continued messy eating. May prefer to eat with their fingers, frequently spill drinks
Avoidance of constructional toys, such as jigsaws or building blocks
Poor fine motor skills. Difficulty in holding a pencil or using scissors. Drawings may appear immature
Lack of imaginative play. May show little interest in ëdressing upí or in playing appropriately in a home corner or wendy house
Limited creative play
Isolation within the peer group. Rejected by peers, children may prefer adult company
Laterality (left- or right-handedness) still not established
Persistent language difficulties
Sensitive to sensory stimulation, including high levels of noise, tactile defensiveness, wearing new clothes
Limited response to verbal instruction. May be slow to respond and have problems with comprehension
Limited concentration. Tasks are often left unfinished
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As for DD here is her yes/no list for age 7:
1. Not really, unless a teacher is too strict or "scary". Difficulties in adapting to a structured school routine
2. Yes. Difficulties in Physical Education lessons
3. BIG yes! Slow at dressing. Unable to tie shoe laces
4. BIG BIG yes!!! Barely legible handwriting (actually not legible at all)
5. BIG yes! Immature drawing and copying skills
6. No. Limited concentration and poor listening skills
7. No. Literal use of language
8. Not usually a problem but can be occasionally. Inability to remember more than two or three instructions at once
9. Yes. Slow completion of class work
10. Sometimes. Continued high levels of motor activity
11. Clapping but I always thought of it as part of her enthusiastic personality. Hand flapping or clapping when excited
12. BIG yes! Tendency to become easily distressed and emotional
13. What knife and fork? She prefers her hands but will use a fork when forced too. It usually ends with her asking one of us to help her or a "Will you please feed me?" Problems with co-ordinating a knife and fork
14. Big No. Inability to form relationships with other children
15. Yes but better in recent months. Sleeping difficulties, including wakefulness at night and nightmares
16. BIG BIG YES!!! Reporting of physical symptoms, such as migraine, headaches, feeling sick
As for the earlier symptoms she was most definitely a high needs baby with sleep and feeding issues but she achieved her milestones well ahead of schedule.(Except that she refused to let go and just cruised for months and months before deciding to walk on her own shortly after her 1st birthday.) She never developed a "normal" crawl - instead crawling with one leg while walking with the other. For the preschool list we really didn't have many issues with tantrums but of course there were some. She LOVED imaginative play and dress up and was always great at making friends with other children. She was also always strong with language and comprehension and was also clearly right handed. It was very cute as a preschooler watching her respond to social cues – she was so in tune that anytime an adult knelt down to talk to her she also knelt down to talk to them.
I am confused about whether dyspraxia would encompass dysgraphia or be an additional issue. When I sent Dr. Beljan some of DD's writing samples after a phone consult he said "The writing is obviously dysgraphic and the spelling looks dyslexic." Would looking at dyspraxia be in addition to this or would it be likely to replace the dysgraphia? When she was in the hospital for her 48 hour EEG the admitting diagnosis from the neurologist said “Uneven development profile” which again sounds like it could include this possibility.
As I look through this list with all it's BIG YES answers it sure looks like a possibility - especially with so many of you saying the social stuff is not required. So do I wait for her new neuropsych eval or is there a way to investigate this through the school?
