Blog post about dyspraxia.

[rayray119]

4 years ago during the pandemic I started writing a blog but that quickly stoped.

I have revisited my blog and decided to write a blog post about dyspraxia inspired by recent . I thought I'd share it with you inspired by recent events. There may quite a few spelling and grammar mistakes in there so if you do decide to read it and it's not difficult read I did not have anyone to proof read this my old posts were all proof read by an ex housemate

Anyway here is https://rachelowe23.wixsite.com/reflections/post/about-dyspraxia-written-by-a-dyspraxic
There are some points I missed out which I might add tomorrow

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hope you found it helpful to put your thoughts down @rayray119

I always found it helped me think through topics in a different way when I turned them into a blog post.

I feel a bit sad I don’t have the time to write them so much these days.

 

[rayray119]

Yes

Hope you found it helpful to put your thoughts down @rayray119

I always found it helped me think through topics in a different way when I turned them into a blog post.

I feel a bit sad I don’t have the time to write them so much these days.

Yes it can be helpful this and yes I did think though it s different way if I was explaining to someone face to face I partly wrote in to to provide a better awareness and understanding of anyone reading it. I know it's unlikely the types of people I speficed at the end will see and read it but if it helps someone.

 

[Lucyr]

Well done, I’m also dyspraxic. I don’t think about it much now but I thought about it quite a lot recently when I was filling in my pip application form. I haven’t submitted it yet as I need to hunt out my dyspraxia and other diagnostic reports for it.

For the pip application you have to explain various things like whether you can dress yourself, shower yourself, cook yourself a meal etc and dyspraxia (as well as autism and cfs) was the main reason I had for struggling with those things. Mainly I had to put that I can only do these things with assistance - I can only dress myself if there’s no buttons or zips and someone else does my shoelaces or if I use elastic laces etc…

 

[rayray119]

Well done, I’m also dyspraxic. I don’t think about it much now but I thought about it quite a lot recently when I was filling in my pip application form. I haven’t submitted it yet as I need to hunt out my dyspraxia and other diagnostic reports for it.

For the pip application you have to explain various things like whether you can dress yourself, shower yourself, cook yourself a meal etc and dyspraxia (as well as autism and cfs) was the main reason I had for struggling with those things. Mainly I had to put that I can only do these things with assistance - I can only dress myself if there’s no buttons or zips and someone else does my shoelaces or if I use elastic laces etc…

Ah yes I have also gone though a pip application. Well I can those things time management and oragaztion effects how I do them(as well actually weather I do it) as well as coradation diffectlys. Although I can't actually use a tin opener.(that was something that held be back at work on one the shifts in the job I just very briefly have however you're not usually required to it was just because for some reason they had no pre packaged sandwiches). I didn't think of using a shoe laces or buttons when it came to dressing I said I could dress myself. I can tie shoes laces however there likely to come undone and need retiring quite offen. I do actually have trouble with anything that's at the back of clothes. Also didn't think about mentioning.that can't tie my hair back if a workplace requires long hair to be tried back I get it cut short. I've had the assessment now though it was actually the second time I apiled the frist one I didn't agree with their decision and wasn't organised enough to appeal in time

 

[rayray119]

Well I wondered if people would actually understand the way that I wrote things. But someone from somewhere else just told me dyspraxia had always confused them and reading my post made it make sense so that's encouraging

 

[rayray119]

For the pip application you have to explain various things like whether you can dress yourself, shower yourself, cook yourself a meal etc and dyspraxia (as well as autism and cfs) was the main reason I had for struggling with those things.

Sorry @Lucyr if this isn't appropriate to ask and feel free to tell me if so and I'll delete the post. But I'm coming back to this as recently I've been considering if I might be austisic as well as wondering if you were diagnosed as child or did get assessed and diagnosised later. If it was the latter how did you go about getting assessed.

 

[Leadinglights]

Sorry @Lucyr if this isn't appropriate to ask and feel free to tell me if so and I'll delete the post. But I'm coming back to this as recently I've been considering if I might be austisic as well as wondering if you were diagnosed as child or did get assessed and diagnosised later. If it was the latter how did you go about getting assessed.

You can most certainly get assessed as an adult, and it is not that uncommon to be diagnosed as being on the spectrum. We had a number of students over the years who were only diagnosed when they came to us at the Uni.
Definitely worth asking, the sooner you get into the system the better.

 

[rayray119]

You can most certainly get assessed as an adult, and it is not that uncommon to be diagnosed as being on the spectrum. We had a number of students over the years who were only diagnosed when they came to us at the Uni.
Definitely worth asking, the sooner you get into the system the better.

Yes I might speak to my doctors to see if they can refer ne

 

[Lucyr]

Sorry @Lucyr if this isn't appropriate to ask and feel free to tell me if so and I'll delete the post. But I'm coming back to this as recently I've been considering if I might be austisic as well as wondering if you were diagnosed as child or did get assessed and diagnosised later. If it was the latter how did you go about getting assessed.

Both as a child and again as an adult. I asked the GP to refer me for an autism assessment as an adult.

 

[rayray119]

Both as a child and again as an adult. I asked the GP to refer me for an autism assessment as an adult.

Okay thanks I might look into it theres just some certin Tait's with me where I've started to wonder

 

[Lucyr]

Okay thanks I might look into it theres just some certin Tait's with me where I've started to wonder

Before you go think through these things and have them written out or clear in your head

- why do I think I might be autistic

- how would a diagnosis benefit me

You won’t get an assessment or diagnosis unless you can explain how the diagnosis would benefit you. If you don’t have any reasons and you’re just curious then you won’t get referred. There isn’t any autism specific support available after diagnosis so you need to think this through before speaking to the GP.

They could be practical reasons like if there’s certain support at work that you haven’t been able to access without a diagnosis, or mental health reasons such as being able to accept and understand yourself more being beneficial to you, or it could be something else entirely. But if you can’t explain the benefits you’ve no chance.

Also, have realistic expectations about waiting times. Around here it’s 3-5 years roughly for adult autism assessments. But, if you think it fits and that you can handle the process, and that it would benefit you to have a formal assessment, then worth applying to join the waiting list. There are various tests you have to do to get as far as the waiting list in most areas.

 

[rayray119]

Before you go think through these things and have them written out or clear in your head

- why do I think I might be autistic

- how would a diagnosis benefit me

You won’t get an assessment or diagnosis unless you can explain how the diagnosis would benefit you. If you don’t have any reasons and you’re just curious then you won’t get referred. There isn’t any autism specific support available after diagnosis so you need to think this through before speaking to the GP.

They could be practical reasons like if there’s certain support at work that you haven’t been able to access without a diagnosis, or mental health reasons such as being able to accept and understand yourself more being beneficial to you, or it could be something else entirely. But if you can’t explain the benefits you’ve no chance.

Also, have realistic expectations about waiting times. Around here it’s 3-5 years roughly for adult autism assessments. But, if you think it fits and that you can handle the process, and that it would benefit you to have a formal assessment, then worth applying to join the waiting list. There are various tests you have to do to get as far as the waiting list in most areas.

Well yes it would help in terms of jobs(although i would need to make sure talk to employers about it that was a mistake I made with my previous job about my dyspraxia even though I had put dyspraxia down on my medical form I hadn't pulled my line manager aside and talk him though it probably and explained exactly how it affects me. Which I believe may have played a part in what happened as they may have not been probably aware of stuff and they can only provide adjustments if they are aware. What happened was one of the things that prompted me to write the blog). And yes I think it would also help me understand things about me.


In terms of the dyspraxia I do have a sunflower lanyard now to indicate to people I have a hidden disability weather that will be for jobs or just day to day.

 

[Tom1982]

I’ve often wondered (and this is probably an incredibly ignorant thing to say) what is the point in an autism diagnosis? That’s a genuine question, I just don’t get it.

 

[Leadinglights]

Well yes it would help in terms of jobs(although i would need to make sure talk to employers about it that was a mistake I made with my previous job about my dyspraxia even though I had put dyspraxia down on my medical form I hadn't pulled my line manager aside and talk him though it probably and explained exactly how it affects me. Which I believe may have played a part in what happened as they may have not been probably aware of stuff and they can only provide adjustments if they are aware. What happened was one of the things that prompted me to write the blog). And yes I think it would also help me understand things about me.


In terms of the dyspraxia I do have a sunflower lanyard now to indicate to people I have a hidden disability weather that will be for jobs or just day to day.

One of the problems is often the person conducting the job interview and who will offer you the job to whom you may have explained your condition does not pass this information to your line manager and the people you are working with so they may not understand what is the problem. You can sort of understand there is a confidentially element but it could be that they ask you if it is ok to inform the people who you will be working with.

 

[rayray119]

I’ve often wondered (and this is probably an incredibly ignorant thing to say) what is the point in an autism diagnosis? That’s a genuine question, I just don’t get it.

I suppose there's a few ways it can help you. One thing is it might make things make sense. Another could be at a job you can have certain things put in place to help you do your job . Or if you're asking for a child they could have support at school(as long as the school probably understood different disability mine didn't)

 

[rayray119]

One of the problems is often the person conducting the job interview and who will offer you the job to whom you may have explained your condition does not pass this information to your line manager and the people you are working with so they may not understand what is the problem. You can sort of understand there is a confidentially element but it could be that they ask you if it is ok to inform the people who you will be working with.

Oh sorry It wasn't in the interview I mentioned it(that's another place where I perhaps should have have made metion) it was on a medical form pre to starting work but manfers might have not actually seen that. And if they had the might have actually not known what it was.

 

[rayray119]

. You can sort of understand there is a confidentially element but it could be that they ask you if it is ok to inform the people who you will be working with.

Perhaps I should ask them to. I still think it might have been a bit of unfair judgement to make anyway . Because apparently they felt I wasn't profroming well due compared to other people (it had only been 6 shifts 3 of which they can't short looking back though the rotas I could see some other people had given more hours then me anyway) And it was a bit unfair comporism because until my last I had pur on really quiet area which didn't get akit people ordering stuff so in terms of actually doing stuff so not only might they had been comparing me to people they had more shifts but could have always been comparing me to people they had put on busier areas and therefore had more practice.

 

[Lucyr]

I’ve often wondered (and this is probably an incredibly ignorant thing to say) what is the point in an autism diagnosis? That’s a genuine question, I just don’t get it.

It means I have protection and adjustments at work, and at the hospital for medical appointments. It’s taken into account when dealing with other medical specialities.

Primarily though, can you imagine how damaging it is to go through life feeling like you’ve just not been born with the rule book everyone else seems to naturally know. Feeling like you’re a massive failure for not being able to do simple things, for having meltdowns out of the blue, having everyone around you tell you constantly to stop being so dramatic and overreacting.

Then imagine someone explained to you that you’re not thick or overdramatic you’re autistic, your brain is wired differently, and that you have the option of learning to understand and accept yourself.