Lacking Dexterity: Having Trouble Playing and Dressing

Playing ball
Children with Dyslexia often have difficulty with dexterity, hand-to-eye co-ordination and fine motor skills. A child with Dyslexia may have difficulty playing with a ball, especially when throwing and catching.


Dressing up
When learning to dress themselves, a child may have difficulty tying shoelaces, buttoning up a shirt or blouse and other activities that require good dexterity.


Dominant Hand
Also as part of this 'dexterity' issue, a child may be late in determining a dominant hand i.e. whether they prefer to use their right hand or their left for most activities like writing and drawing.

This may mean that the child uses either hand when playing, picking things up or drawing. Some children can reach the age of 7 years before a preference is established and even at that time they may use one hand for writing and the other hand for other activities, like throwing and catching.

Don't Panic! Many children are late in developing motor and co-ordination skills, this does not mean they suffer from Dyslexia but it will mean that they require a bit more attention, to help them overcome any physical or behavioural issues.


Ambidextrous
Some children shows signs of being ambidextrous for an extended period of time but it does not mean they are showing signs of, or are experiencing dyslexia. There may be other explanations and you should seek qualified expert advice, to ascertain whether it is an issue or a talent.

Summary
Remember that a lack of dexterity alone does not indicate a definite diagnosis of Dyslexia. It is only one part of a suite or range of symptoms that add up to the Dyslexia experienced by young children and the level and effect of these symptoms varies dramatically.