Dyspraxia

Difficulties with perception of some aspects of literacy and numeracy, visual spatial skills, communicating, gross and/or fine motor skills, memory, organisational skills, some problems with social skills and some behaviours.

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“Never mind dear, learn to type.”

first typewriter lookalike

My education had to stop when I was 15 as our single parent and elderly person household was not able to manage without a little more income.

In preparation for NOT going to 6th form at the Ilminster Girls’ Grammar School, I was advised by my head teacher (wonderful but scary woman) to take typing and shorthand lessons and get some sort of qualification suitable for a working class young woman of slender means.

I remember the strain of carting my typewriter – similar to that in the photograph – across Chard, typing for the evening and then carrying it back home.   I did get both 25 and 35 wpm RSA typing certificates.  Shorthand – it didn’t happen. English is a struggle and being dyslexic and dyspraxia means that any symbols do not dig themselves into my memory very well.  It was the same with music theory…

However,  I am very glad indeed that I did get typing lessons as well as exercise for my bicep muscles.  Touch typing is a great skill to have in this computer age.  Upgrading to 60 wpm audio typing also got me a job when I desperately needed to put groceries on the table. That speed wasn’t achieved on an upright typewriter I hasten to add!

Computers have also supported me in my quest in my mid forties to upgrade my education.  Various software programmes have helped me organise myself, remember things and be able to get my thoughts out in some semblance of clarity.  Although being rather unhinged when numbers and arithmetic come into things, I took like a duck to water on the software for analysing social sciences data and I loved the graphics I could produce to visually explain my findings.    Nowadays, I can even speak into the computer and it types up my words (although my lingering Somerset accent with  soft consonants and broad vowels gives it a few puzzles…).  I still prefer to type though – I don’t misunderstand myself.

Out of need, in my late twenties, I learned the therapeutic value of writing out my frazzled emotions and tangled thoughts.  In the last five years or so my fingers and hands have decided to become tiresomely lacking in strength making it difficult for me to keep my hand-written journals. Hyper-mobile joints with lax tendons and ligaments rather than arthritic stiffness is the problem apparently. I have adjusted to writing my journal notes straight onto a keyboard with those touch typing skills coming into their own yet again.

I must admit that am glad that I do not have to haul a huge upright typewriter around with me anymore. It was hard when I was a teenager let alone now I am approaching my mid-sixties! I have a smallish bag with my iPhone, iPad, Bluetooth keyboard, various chargers and wifi equipment.

I remain grateful for the advice given to my 15 year old self, although I don’t think my head teacher expected me to go any farther than the typing pool and certainly not to a doctorate and private psychology practice!

 

 

 

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Serendipity and sensitivity.

I managed to get my contact lens stuffed up into my eyeball last night – uurgh! (end of day tired and rubbed my eyes; I know, but I forgot I was wearing lenses and not my glasses through which I see much better these days of juggling short-sightedness with my aged need for reading glasses) I hoped it would clear this morning but, no, still lodged somewhere.  I worried it had got into my brain or nose because I nearly passed out when getting dressed, felt rather hot and sick and the nose is still running three weeks after i caught my baby grandson’s cold.

A call to several opticians and I got an appointment at Horsham 10.30 am.  Loads of time…  so I got involved in something and then “Its 10 o’clock!” came from Brian’s office.  Oh oh…I had to drive .. quite fast… to get to my appointment on time.  Then I had to wait.  so my blood pressure had gone up for nothing? Well, no. Serendipitously I found a useful article for my daughter whilst waiting:  how to deal with school age tantrums.  What do you do when your six year old is behaving like his two year old sister (she’s watching angelically of course: “me? behave like that?  of course not.”  So, it happens beyond two and before the teenage tantrum stage…  normal.  oh good.  So, my dear, its NOT your parenting or the fact you are a working mother (guilt ridden as they all are in my experience): it happens.

The optician (very kind young lady – nice outfit) successfuly managed to get the wandering lens out with the help of some dye to make it visible and a damp cotton bud.  Phew… The lens out, I wondered why I still felt giddy, hot and rather unwell.  As I was in town, I did a few errands – birthday presents and cards for next set of grandchildren to need remembering, bits and pieces in the chemists which I can’t get in the tiny towns locally…

Ok, still hot, head pounding and giddy.  Chemist.  Pharmacist.  They are good if you get a relatively un-busy one. Great, she was available and smiling:  could she help?  Yes please.  Just how long does a cold and catarrh last? “I think it’s a viral thing. plenty of liquid, rest, paracetamol and wait for it to pass.”  Great.

Son phones, upset because someone ‘had a go at him’.  He assures me he knows he shouldn’t take it so personally.  Dyslexia and dyspraxia make it hard to understand complex matters over the telephone.  ADHD makes it hard not to want a current stressful situation TO BE OVER NOW!  Hard to explain to others who are on the receiving end of your “please explain that again? can you write it down for me? Sorry but can you get back to me?” (twice asked on text and phone). He is going to switch phone off and go home to missus and baby and not think about anything more tonight.

Good idea.  I think I’ll do the same…  Switch brain off…

Yes, I will follow my prescription: bath, paracetemol, rest with a non-study book, listen to some good meditative music, get significant other to do dinner and pour me a glass of chilled white wine.

What do you mean, ‘the pharmacist didn’t mention the last two on that list’?  Well, I’m a doctor and I’ve just prescribed them for myself.