The OT we saw for such a short time told my son that she knew adults that had to do physical activities to feel more organized when we told her about the "glitch" happening on stage at the state pee wee spelling bee last year with all the judges looking at him as he incorrectly spelled a word that he had never gotten wrong before. I don't think it was stage fright because he has done musical theater since he was four years old. The OT recommended doing something like "wall push-ups" before he tries to do any kind of competition where he might feel stressed, but my son said this would be embarrassing and he doesn't want other people to see him do this. I think we will need to make time for him to do some kind of exercise before he ever attempts something like this again. He was doing more physical things at home before he did his first piano recital several months ago and I do think it helped. He didn't make any mistakes at all and I don't think anyone would have guessed that he has motor dyspraxia.
He knows he will need to practice physical things more than other kids because of this disability, but it is so hard to get him to practice as much as he should. I have noticed that he will practice if he knows that he has to do something in front of other people--like if there is a piano recital or he is performing in musical theater.
Unless he has a piano recital coming up he will not voluntarily practice piano, which reminds me, I need to tell him break time is over now. I will have to watch to make sure he does all of it and he will complain and try to talk me into letting him do something else instead.
He did practice in front of his sister a few days ago and he did well the first few times he played but then he had the glitch. My daughter told him that it has happened to her before and she calls it a "brain fart." She was a a very coordinated cheerleader and had no motor learning or muscle weakness issues and picked up new dance routines very quickly and I never would have guessed that she had ever experienced anything like this. I was glad she told him that it has happened to her before also.
I think he will need to do some kind of physical exercise if he ever has to take a test. I would really like for him to take the Explore test next year and I hope we can figure out a way for him to avoid the glitch.
