Dypraxia

As much as I try there are somethings I will just always be bad at, ice skating, short term memory, spatial awareness and reading out loud. For other people these are innate skills that take little or no thinking, but not me.

My name's Lois and I have dyspraxia.

I have always felt different and for most of my life I have had my diagnosis, however it's only been in recent years that I have fully accepted it. Dypraxia, also known as developmental co-ordination disorder, is a neurological disorder and specific learning difficulty affecting motor co-ordination. However, this is not all. Dyspraxia affects every aspect of my life.

They say that everyone's case of dyspraxia is different and I could not agree more. For me, I am an athlete and a straight A student, so from the outside people may not see how much I struggle on a daily basis, but here are my symptoms.

Firstly, spatial awareness. For me, I can play football with no problem, I can do handstands over and over again, but if you put a chair in front of me, the chances are i'll fall over it. It's not that I don't see it, I try to avoid it, but it just always ends up being in the way and somehow one of my limbs just bumps into it. The bruises and bumps are remains of all the door frames, table corners and people that I bump into everyday.

Hand-eye co-ordination is also a big thing for me, I love sport, I love using up all the left over energy. But if you give me a racket or make me use my hands i'm useless. To watch people do sports you know you'd love but just can't do it heartbreaking.

An overlooked symptom of dyspraxia is fatigue. The extra effort and energy needed to process the information we are given is forever making me tired. Can you imagine if you had to think over every little action, walking, writing or even just standing still? At the end of the day my brain crashes, often making me feel ill and disorientated,

For me one of the biggest difficulties associated with dyspraxia is sensory perception. I can't eat certain foods because they are cooked in a way that makes their texture weird, I cant wear certain clothes because they make my skin feel weird, and I like sitting in the dark. However, this also means I have an unusually high pain threshold!!

In the classroom I have many issues with short-term memory, concentration and organisation. Making exams a nightmare as i'm constantly distracted by other people's pen clicking and tapping. As well as the pressure of having to remember facts and vocab short term and having to recall on the spot in class. Although I've always been a good student the struggles of the class room always knocked my self esteem.

These are the main symptoms of my dyspraxia, however there are many more small things that are constantly challenging me. Such as, indecisiveness, low self esteem, anxiety and emotional outbursts.

Dyspraxia is often forgotten about in the world of specific learning disabilities, however we must raise awareness. I hope to write more about dyspraxia in the future as I become more open about it, in hope that soon i will live in a world where people don't say "don't you mean dyslexia?"

Book Review: Always with Love by Giovanna Fletcher

Book Review: Always with Love

The much anticipated sequel to Giovanna's debut book 'Billy and Me'  was released last month and oh my lord it 100% lived up to it's expectations! I got this book for my birthday, only 2 days after publication, but read it in little over 48 hours as I just could not put it down.

      The book follows the characters we met in the first novel. Billy, the global phenomenon and BAFTA winning actor ( and everyone's dream man), and Sophie a girl from a little town in Kent, as they continue their love story. However, this time it's over long distance.

What I love most about this book is how real the characters are. Every emotion they feel seems normal, over exaggerated jealousy, unnecessary anger and overwhelming joy are all emotions us normal folk act on regularly and that is portrayed here. Even the characters that are mega superstars are viewed as normal people. Much like they should be! (Yes that is a dig at the media) This connection to real emotions is what makes this book so easy to read, as you can be inside Sophie's head feeling the loneliness that she feels. Giovanna makes you truly understand their situation and what it would feel like to be in it. That's what literature is supposed to do, right? Let you escape your world for someone else's and be able to step in their shoes and feel their emotions, and if their shoes involve a beautiful young actor then I will gladly wear them.

My connection to this book could not be stronger and I feel this is because of the character of Sophie. We are very similar (apart from the famous boyfriend). We're both from small villages, love reading, work in small coffee shops and have both been devastated from lives lost by cancer. Sophie is an adorable character, introverted but headstrong she always seems to do what she truly believes is right, and not just for herself. She goes on an emotional roller-coaster in this book (potentially even more of a roller-coaster than in Billy and Me) but still remains true to who she is.

Giovanna's writing style is bubbly and fun as well as being smooth and connected. Her descriptions of emotions and her ability to make you truly envision somewhere you've never been ( or doesn't even exist!) makes this book a gem. Although the story line sometimes takes twist and turns, some of them I wasn't too keen on, the undeniable love between the characters is what keeps you wishing for the best outcome. This book makes you feel at home even if you're away, in love even if you're not and as confused with your emotions as if you're writing a diary.

All of Giovanna's books are a must read (Especially dream a little dream!!!!!) and are now quite cheap on amazon so pick them up ASAP

Speak soon,

Lois Mae

P.S Gi, if you ever read this;thank you for that Disneyland scene, it was magical!