I’ve decided to write this blog about some of the quirks I have associated to my dyspraxia, these things are often never talked about in the media and for a lot of people they’re embarrassed about and never talk to anyone about. I’ve decided to write to help people understand why I may do things the way I do sometimes, especially if people have to spend a lot of time with me. I don’t do these things a lot and try and have as many coping strategies as I can to disguise them. Hopefully some of the coping strategies I list here will help other people who show them and help others feel that they’re not on their own. Hopefully as well it will help people see the bigger picture of what it is actually like to have dyspraxia/dyslexia.
Next time you see someone who may be doing something quirky or may be really quiet don’t judge them you never know how difficult someone may be finding the situation.
Random speeds of walking
I can either walk really fast or really slow then sometimes I’ll get like a surge of energy and randomly walk really fast. My friends always joke that I need a gear box and that I need to bring myself down a gear sometimes.
Sensitivity to noise/environment
I love going shopping I’m probably the biggest bargain hunter going, sometimes if I’m in a really busy city especially I can become really overwhelmed by the noise/ people around and it can make me have sensory overload and I can get quite anxious. The same can happen when I’m in a bar or club sometimes especially if really loud music is playing, or I’m in a group of people where more than one conversation is taking place. I tend to go really really quiet and into myself my brain can’t process it all together and I hear little bits of each convo then a thud thud thud of music. Quite a lot of people in the past have assumed it’s because I’ve felt down or sad and the amount of times I’ve been told to just smile. If you’re in that situation with me and I go really quiet I’m probably fine having a really good night just struggling to process all of the different noises and sounds around me or taking a while to get used to the new environment.
Rocking/pacing
This is something which I’m normally not very open about as I get scared that people may think it’s weird or odd. It’s something which I try really hard to control especially in public areas and at places like work. This can happen in two different ways when I’m really excited about something or if I feel really anxious/down.
Despite having these little quirks I never let anything hold me back or avoid any situations I try my best to tackle them as best as I can. I’m very lucky and I have the most amazing boyfriend who is really understanding. I hope this is given you a better insight into the different things being dyspraxic/dyslexic is really about.