Dyspraxia

Abstract

Dyspraxia is a difficulty with organising and directing the body to perform a motor skill (movement) needed to correctly carry out the steps in a process and to ensure that a task is performed in the most efficient way. In order to do this the brain must receive and register sensory information from the environment and one’s own body (e.g. tactile (touch), kinesthetic (body position awareness), vestibular (balance awareness) and visual information). The brain must then process and interpret this information in order to generate an appropriate response: including how to interact with the environment, planning the movement necessary to proceed and finally executing the performance. Included in the organisation and planning of how to execute the task presented to the child, the child also requires the ability to effectively evaluate the success of the performance in order to refine it for next time.