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HANDS UP IF YOU KNOW WHAT DYSPRAXIA IS?
Dyspraxia Awareness Week – 27th September - 4th October, 2008
Most people know about behavioural, social and learning problems such as Dyslexia, ADHD and Aspergers, but relatively few are familiar with Dyspraxia. This is despite the fact that it affects approximately one child in every class of 30. Even those who have heard of it before are seldom able to explain its cause or symptoms, or understand its effect on the daily lives of those living with the condition.
This autumn (27th September – 4th October) the Dyspraxia Foundation’s national awareness campaign ‘Dyspraxia – Making Sense of it All: The Professional Approach’ aims to set the record straight and help ensure the condition, and those affected by it, receive the recognition and support they deserve.
Developmental dyspraxia is an impairment of the organisation of movement – which can lead to problems with co-ordination, fine motor skills, language, thought and perception. It can cause great difficulties in coping with simple day-to-day tasks most of us take for granted, including:
• Walking up and down stairs
• Getting dressed
• Tying shoe-laces
• Forming relationships / making friends
• Adapting to a structured school routine
• Inability to remember more than two or three instructions at once
The annual campaign will seek to raise awareness of the condition among teaching, education and health professionals, outlining the early signs and symptoms. While there is no cure for dyspraxia, with an early diagnosis and appropriate support, the lives of those living with the condition - and their families - can be made much easier.
The campaign will provide a strong media package, to include:
• Results of new research - to highlight current levels of awareness among teaching and educational professionals
• Powerful facts and figures
• Case studies - Children & adults living with dyspraxia
- Teaching and educational professionals
• Celebrities
• Medical advice/opinion from the charity’s health and educational experts
For more media information, or to arrange an interview/feature before or during the Week, please contact Tracey Thompson or Jo Hudson on 020 8786 3860. Alternatively, please email tracey.thompson@trinitypr.co.uk
ENDS