Last year, Ethan was diagnosed with DCD (Developmental Coordination Disorder). I hate labels. And worse, I can't find a whole lot on DCD. Ethan went for physio for a few months last fall. Then his physiotherapist went back to Denmark. She returned in April and he resumed. She tested him last fall, and again in April. He's improved a lot. But he still has issues.
One of my class parents lent me the book How to Understand and Support Children with Dyspraxia. It's a resource meant for teachers, but wow, did I learn a lot. So first off, DCD is a form of Dyspraxia. Now the book confused me a bit, since a lot of things they discussed didn't apply to Ethan.
However, I got some great ideas of games we can play at home. Ethan still struggles with a proper pencil grip, and an alternative grip was presented here. There's also a strong focus on teaching cursive immediately, which I think is a great idea.
I also liked a lot of the activities presented. There are a number I would use in the classroom. While I am unaware if any of my students last year had Dyspraxia, there were many activities and ideas that would benefit students that needed some additional fine motor work, or even some great games to play during class meetings and social-emotional games.
So while I still hate the label, and am not sure how severe Ethan's DCD is, I am thankful to have found a wonderful resource.
1 comment:
I have a friend whose child was diagnosed with DSD. I am going to tell her about this book. Thank you!!
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