Blogger Talk: Dyspraxia

All my life, I have had a condition called Dyspraxia. It affects my timing, my balance, I stuggle to remember things in sequence, trouble picking items up and keeping hold of them (this one is great with Lego), and many other things.

When I explain Dyspraxia to other people they think I am making it up because lots of people experience these symptoms. In fact, up until I was diagnosed people just wrote me off as clumsy and careless. That if I dropped something and it broke that was because I didn't really care about not breaking that item.

There are lots of other things too. Little things. I didn't learn to ride a bike until I was almost 11 - I just kept falling off. I couldn't skip until I was about 6 or 7 because Dyspraxia also makes it difficult to perform things in a sequence and skipping involves a series of actions I couldn't comprehend. I also can't hop, ice skate or roller skate. These are things lots of non-dyspraxic people can't do, but when there are all these things together, it means a little more than simply not being good at something.

It also affects attention span - so much so that a lot of people who have dyspraxia also have ADHD. Which, I have too.

Dyspraxia can also affect people socially - I struggle with eye contact (I never know where to look when I am talking to people!) I never know how to behave - I am very flamboyant, energetic and loud, and not everyone has the mental or physical energy to put up with me. It also is linked with anxiety - which is a major problem with me. I can struggle to make and maintain friendships.

I actually started this blog so I would have an outlet for talking about Lego - something I have a deep and special interest in - because I don't know anyone in real life who likes Lego the way I do, and even those that do might not want to hear me talk about it all the time.

Being a Lego fan and being Dyspraxic can be frustrating. On my worst days it is very difficult to pick items up. I have cracked so many bricks because I struggle with my coordination, and accidentally apply more force than was meant.

But is has also given me a wonderful outlet. With art, my supplies are finite and if I make a mistake and glue something in the wrong place, that's it, that resource is gone. However with Lego as long as a brick isn't too badly cracked I can use it again and again.

If you are wondering why I am writing a blog post about this, when it really isn't to do with Lego; I didn't meet another person with Dyspraxia until I was 19. I was embarrassed to tell people about it because it sounds like a condition that isn't a condition. But it is real and it affects me. I have been mocked and ridiculed for the way I act even though I cannot help it.

I was lonely, but I am determined that no one else should feel alone. If you want to talk about anything I have discussed in this post, click on the 'Find Me' tab and send me an email. I will always respond.