Dyspraxia comes from two Greek words: 'dys' (meaning abnormal) and 'praxis' (meaning doing). It is also known as Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD). However, this term can be misleading, for although dyspraxia's defining symptoms are excessive clumsiness and problems with balance, the condition can also impact on short-term memory, personal organisation,
attention span, mathematical ability, and social skills. There is often an overlap with other specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia and dyscalculia; and with autistic spectrum disorders, such as Asperger's syndrome. Dyspraxic people typically have average or above average IQ scores, just like everybody else; their raw intelligence is not affected by the disability.
While dyspraxia causes significant difficulties for sufferers, it also has its positive aspects - many people with dyspraxia have extremely strong language skills, which accounts for the high number of famous authors who are now thought to have had dyspraxia. These include Emily Bronte and G.K.
Chesterton. Modern-day celebrities who are dyspraxic include
Richard Branson (owner of the 'Virgin' empire) and David Bailey (
photographer).
