What is Dyspraxia? How to support those impacted at work

Recognising the symptoms

There are many different ways dyspraxia can present. Although struggling with coordinated movement is the most widely recognised symptom of dyspraxia, there are many more than can arise with it:

• Difficulty coordinating body movements.
• Poor spatial awareness (often leads to people perceiving this as general “clumsiness”).
• Difficulty with organisation (both tangible things such as their surroundings as well as their thoughts). This can be mentally taxing and frustrating as it can take extra effort to perform tasks that are considered routine or every day for other people.
• Poor motor skills.
• Difficulty with speech and language. Verbal dyspraxia can make it difficult to have a smooth and consistent speech pattern.

Understanding the challenges at work

Dyspraxia can impact people in several ways in the workplace and can be more impactful depending on the tasks required for the job because it can present in very routine circumstances.

Dyspraxia may affect everyday life skills in many ways, both because of motor difficulties and because of difficulties with organisation:

• Difficulties with handwriting.
• Skills requiring balance.
• Slower learning a new skill requiring speed and accuracy.
• Learning to drive a car.
• Organisation, time management and planning skills.
• Taking information down at speed.

How to give (and receive) effective support at work

Before addressing specific pointers, when it comes to supporting people with dyspraxia in the workplace, the most important thing to remember is to treat the individual as just that, an individual.

Building a good relationship through induction is the best way to open up the conversation around how people work best, but bear in mind this may well evolve so have regular check-ins to get feedback and provide ongoing support. Some other things you can explore are:

• • Avoid handwritten tasks wherever possible.
  • Use speech-to-text or other computer software.
  • Ensure the workspace area is fit for purpose. Some people are impacted by office traffic and clutter and may require reasonable adjustments to ensure they can concentrate. Things like a quiet area, being able to work from home or in a fixed controlled space, utilising headphones and visual screens to help cut out the noise and visual distractions may be able to help.
  • Give adequate time for learning new tasks and break down new skills/tasks into parts and demonstrate as well as telling the person how to do it. Allow sufficient practice time to master a new skill. Encourage accuracy first and then increase speed once the task has been accomplished. It’s important for all parties to be patient and approach this with compassion.
  • Break tasks down into parts throughout the day to remember all the parts of the overall objective.
  • Don’t nominate people to read information aloud, in meetings or generally in front of colleagues/clients, or to take minutes in a meeting on the spot. If these tasks will be taking place, ensure this has been discussed in good time and agreed upon in a safe way, not compromising the ability and wellbeing of the person.