Dyspraxia/DCD Ireland, the organisation which provides information and a national support network for parents, teenagers, and adults, will hold an awareness event in Galway next week.
The event, which takes place during Dyspraxia Awareness Week from October 9 to 15, will take place in the Connacht Hotel on Wednesday October 12.
Tanya McGarry will be the guest speaker on the night. She is an occupational therapist who has worked with children and families for the last 15 years. She specialises in the areas of child and adolescent mental health, dyspraxia/DCD, ASD, and sensory processing challenges. Ms McGarry has extensive training in sensory integration, neurodevelopmental difficulties, and child mental health. Refreshments will be served after the event.
The event will take place from 8pm to 9pm. For more information contact [email protected].
Members of Dyspraxia/DCD Ireland will also host a number of coffee mornings throughout the country to raise awareness about the condition.
Affecting more than one child in every Irish classroom, dyspraxia is a lifelong condition which is characterised by difficulty with thinking out, planning, and carrying out sensory and motor tasks.
A person with dyspraxia may have a combination of problems in varying degrees, including poor balance, poor fine and gross motor coordination, difficulties with vision, motor planning, perception problems, and poor awareness of body position in space. Affected children may also have poor muscle tone and experience difficulties with simple motor tasks such as running, doing up buttons, using scissors, and writing, and dressing and self-feeding are likely to be problematic. They may fall over frequently and bump into things.
With proper help and support, children with dyspraxia can learn to cope with or overcome many of these difficulties. Dyspraxia/DCD Ireland aims to ensure that adequate resources are available, including occupational therapy, speech therapy, physiotherapy, psychological support, and education.
For more information see www.dyspraxia.ie
