Dyspraxia Foundation: Dragon fun club

Supporting parents, adults and young people affected by Dyspraxia.

The Dyspraxia Foundation is a national charity, founded in 1987 as the Dyspraxia Trust by two mothers who met at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children.

The Foundation answers approximately 10,000 enquiries and distributes more than 20,000 leaflets about the condition, annually and seeks aims to increase understanding of Dyspraxia, particularly among professionals in health and education and encourages its local groups to spread understanding of how those who have the condition can be helped.

Lecturer, Sally Scott Roberts and Senior Lecturer, Dr Catherine Purcell from our School started the South East Wales Support Group which offers support to parents, adults and young people. One of their initiatives is a ‘Dragons fun club’ where the children build confidence, have fun and make friendships in a safe environment. They are encouraged to try new things alongside volunteers who understand their challenges and appreciate the many strengths they all have. The club runs once a month with the help of our BSc Occupational Therapy students and Psychology students from University of South Wales.

Reach

Our group provides a service to approximately 40 families in the South East Wales area. 15-20 children regularly attend the fun club sessions.

Impact

The work of our group is directly improving the lives of children and families while enhancing the learning experience and skills of our students. Our groups work was disseminated as a key note presentation at the Dyspraxia Foundation UK, Professionals Conference 2018, so being available for clinicians with an interest in Dyspraxia/DCD, and influencing clinical practice.

Feedback from the club has been positive:

"I have lots of friends at club." Dragons fun club participant (child)

"My son is much more willing to stretch himself and try new activities with his friends at Dragons." Dragons fun club participant (parent)

"Volunteering at the club offers a unique opportunity to have hands on experience of group work with children who have DCD/Dyspraxia." Volunteer Student

"The children’s group could not run without the continued support and enthusiasm of our student volunteers from USW and Cardiff University." Dr Purcell