Hi Lori,

Yeah, the dyspraxia is difficult- at least during childhood. We ended up working around it in homeschooling but people can be so cruel. I remember a swimming carnival for the Scouts. My son and I only went because I was a Leader (Joeys). My son could not swim and it was a 50m pool. My son dog-paddled the entire length and considering the asthma he suffered from, severe dyspraxia etc was a huge effort and I was touched by his dogged determination to do his best.

I was standing by some parents and heard them say how 'unfair' it was to the other team members to have someone like that in the team. As a mother it broke my heart to hear that kind of discrimination.

We could not afford to belong to sporting groups and very few people understand dyspraxia. No one seems to want these kids involved in their team anyway and I didn't want him exposed to abuse because of his disability. Unlike your son (or myself for that matter) my son was very extroverted and very much knew his own mind. This made him darn near impossible when he was little but later on was an asset.

As for problems as an adult, I can't speak for other occupations of course, but in the programming industry handwriting can be pretty much non-existant.

We were very isolated as a family and it is only since my son has got his last job that he's really been 'included' socially in anything. I know this is one of the things he loves about his job.

As for me, I'm still waiting for inclusion! I look back over 18 years to when I was near my son's age and what we have lived through and wonder what it will take for this society to value my input. It is not a pleasant place to be and I would not wish it on anyone. So yes, I understand your isolation.

For a few years I was really frustrated with not being able to adequately express the position I was in to people who had not been through it themselves. But in validating myself as an individual (as I decided to do recently) I am finding the words now pouring out of me and I'm able to express myself much more clearly. I am yet to see whether this will actually lead to any lessening of my social and economic isolation although this thread is certainly a good thing!