SIMPLE everyday tasks can prove impossible for children with dyspraxia and 10-year-old Deane Simmonds is no exception.
PlayStation fan Deane, of Blacon Point Road, Chester, struggles to gain the independence all boys on the brink of becoming a teenager crave and instead is forced to rely heavily on mum Angela.
'Dyspraxia affects a child's co-ordination and their ability to process information,' said Angela, 29, 'You don't realise how many things rely on good co-ordination until you know someone like Deane.
'He can't tie his shoes, he can't ride a bike, he can't even hold a knife and fork properly. Basically, someone has to be with him all the time.'
The condition - often referred to as Clumsy Child Syndrome - affects up to 10% of the population and males are four times more likely to be affected than females.
Dyspraxia affects the planning of what to do and how to do it. It is associated with problems of perception, language and thought.
For Deane this means although he is able to remain in mainstream education at Dee Point Primary School, Blacon, the difference in his development, including difficulties with his hearing, often singles him out from other children.
Angela, married to Deane's step-dad Andrew, said: 'His self confidence is pretty low. He can't join in with the other lads, he can't play football or anything like that.
'Deane has been bullied all his life. The school has been absolutely fantastic and they do all they can but it's always there as a problem for him.'
Thanks to a nomination by family friend Katrina McCallum, of Chitech Industries (Europe) Ltd, Deane and Angela are due to join about 25 children and their carers on a trip to Disneyland Paris this summer with children's charity Miles of Smiles.
Angela added: 'It means the world to him. I am hoping that it will open his eyes a little bit and he'll see that he is lucky.
'He is able to walk, talk, go to a mainstream school - things a lot of children with disabilities can't do.'
selena.o'donnell@cheshirenews.co.uk
