ABC Programme

WORKING TOGETHER

towards Wellness and Self Confidence

Wellness and self-confidence plays a vital role in everyday life, and it is something that I am passionate and very conscious of.

In my experience working with children through the ABC Programme, those with Dyspraxia /Developmental Coordination Disorder /those who have difficulty with attention, balance and coordination, often suffer from very low self-esteem and lack of confidence.

Children with Dyspraxia/Developmental Coordination Disorder, attention, balance and coordination difficulties, often avoid the playground, ball games and the like and do not look fondly upon physical education classes, often viewed with much dismay.

I have also observed that some of these children find it difficult to “fit in”. They can find academic instruction difficult, they can struggle with physical activities/games, and also may have underlying social difficulties as well, and thus suffer from anxiety and feeling overwhelmed are common.

Unfortunately, Dyspraxia rarely presents “just by itself” usually it presents with an overlapping variety of other disorders as seen below.  These disorders vary in everycase.

For example one may have Dyspraxia, mild Dyscalculia and mild Dyslexia.

All of these factors can have a strong effect on one’s wellness, confidence and self-esteem. 

Dyspraxia/DCD attention balance and coordination difficulties also can present frustration and confusion for parents alike.
Parents often need to assist these children with everyday activities way beyond the “normal time frame” as often learning and maturity milestones are not reached until much later in life if at all, thus creating a strong reliance on parents for a longer period of time. This can also be tiring and taxing.

Often parents feel isolated as many people have not even heard of Dyspraxia let alone know anything about it.

The Dyspraxia Support Group of New Zealand is working hard to help in educating the community in New Zealand about Dyspraxia and Developmental Coordination Disorder, please see www.dyspraxia.org.nz
The ABC Programme focusses on encouragement and praise for ALL achievements no matter how small. All achievements MUST BE celebrated. This vital as the ABC Programme introduced exercises that may seem a little challenging to begin with, but can be successfully achieved.

By regular celebration of achievement, one experiences success on a regular basis. In turn this has a flow on effect, as confidence grows, thus the willing to try new things.

I am passionate about helping all people with Dyspraxia/DCD, attention, balance and coordination difficulties, I have a real concern for the mental health/wellness amongst our young people especially those with Dyspraxia/DCD attention, balance and coordination difficulties as they often have expressed feelings of frustration anxiety and isolation.

Creating awareness of Dyspraxia/DCD through the ABC Programme and the Dyspraxia Support Group of New Zealand is a way of creating awareness and providing a way for children to achieve and accomplish success in small steps.

Please see the following links for further information on the above topics:
Pollin Kamell www.pkkamell.com
The Dyspraxia Support Group of New Zealand www.dyspraxia.org.nz
Or you can contact us directly.