Developmental Coordination Disorder

I started college band camp yesterday and I’m having a horrible time. I love playing the music and the thrill of performing, but it’s so fast paced and no one seems to care that I’m struggling. Never have I felt my dyspraxia hitting me so hard before this. It’s like every time I try to do something my body does something else and it’s so frustrating. People just keep telling me how to do stuff over and over again but I already know how I just can’t make it happen!! 😠 I’ve pointed out that I have a coordination disorder but it’s like my section leader just decided it wasn’t relevant. She won’t give me time to practice individually at my own pace but when I obviously play half my notes wrong and miss the other half she just says it sounds good. I ask for help and she just tells me it’s easy and I should just figure it out. I don’t know how I can keep this up. And I still haven’t made any friends, surprise surprise (sarcasm). When I told my section leader I didn’t have anyone to sit with at lunch she just told me that was rough and left me. We moved in early so there’s no other freshmen on campus, and when I tried to go to game night everyone ignored me. I thought band would be my “family” just like high school but it’s like no one even notices I’m here. On top of this my roommate seems to have no concept of cleaning, and just rinsed her dishes instead of using soap. And she left the bathroom so gross last night I had to clean it before bed. I try to point it out and she just brushes it off. I don’t know what to do and I just want to go home, I hate this
#Autism #Dyspraxia #developmentalcoordinationdisorder

Hello friends, i mentioned last week that I finally got to have a proper evaluation. I got results on Wednesday. Guess who’s the proud owner of an official ASD diagnosis!! (It’s me)
Aside from that part the rest of it was great too. I also got a diagnosis of developmental coordination disorder which is neat cause I’d wondered about that. Had an IQ test done which is wild cause my processing speed is such an outlier that it’s honestly hilarious I mean I got like 98th percentile for everything except processing speed which is 16th percentile lollll and executive functioning was low too
I love test results and data, so fun and satisfying
Oh they also recommended I get help and possibly meds for my anxiety and depression but that’s a battle for another time, they did recommend some people tho which was nice. Also an asd group in my area which I’m looking forward to joining.

Overall, yay I can have my 504 in place now for my senior year and get help when I have to go to college!!
#Autism

#Autism #Dyspraxia #developmentalcoordinationdisorder #DevelopmentalDyspraxia random life hack suggestion prompted by my needing to add handsoap to my grocery list. (Or mom's if I can talk her into buying it from CostCo).

Liquid soap is SOOOOO much easier to handle than bar soap when you have coordination problems!!! And motor control problems!!! Wish it hadn't taken me until adulthood to discover this! It absolutely falls under the category of #AssistiveTechnology for me! Spent my entire childhood struggling with bar soap, and feeling frustrated, inferior and defective because I couldn't make it work hardly at all. (Along with at least 1000 other reasons).

And as an example I'd like to give playing the piano for me I may have to play a song A thousand Times to be proficient where other people only have to play it 50 or 100 but if I want to sit down and play it that thousand times I'll play it just as well as anybody if not better. If a songs worth playing it's worth playing badly for a start.

#Dyspraxia
#developmentalcoordinationdisorder
#Autism
#PervasiveDevelopmentalDisorders

I have been thinking for a while of what to talk about this week, and I eventually came back to my diagnosis. At age 16, most people expect you to not be falling over your thin air, mispronouncing words, spilling drinks, etc.  But having Dyspraxia (at least for me) makes all of these things daily realities.  Some days I'm unsure if when I stand up and start walking if I'm just going to fall over (my balance isn't great).
I'll begin again, for those of you who don't know, Dyspraxia is a disability which has gone by a variety of names throughout its life, and is a disability which I advocate for every day. From asking a teacher to write down instructions since I can't remember more than two at once (short-term memory issues which is a symptom of dyspraxia) to playing volleyball and needing someone to run me through the steps before I hit the ball each time. You might know Dyspraxia by Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), or (Global) Apraxia.
Dyspraxia is included in the overall topic of Neurodiversity, and with good reason. Dyspraxia symptoms overlap with Autism, Dyscalculia and honestly likely more.

Positives of Dyspraxia include:
Being Hardworking --Even if at first, I find a task challenging, I muddle through it.
Determination --I don't give up!
Empathy --I'm very empathetic and look to understand others views.
Creativity
Good Problem Solving Skills!