This blog page is about the history of the new eBook Dyspraxic Adults Surviving in a non-Dyspraxic World. and is a blatant excuse to advertise the book.
I was thinking of writing a book on adult dyspraxia but hadn’t got round to it .I was sick of feeling like the bridesmaid and not the bride as I have been a case study in a few dyspraxia and neurodiversity books but I had not published my own book.
Then about 4 years ago. Mary Morris (Dyspraxia Foundation Manchester Adult) Support group contacted me on Facebook and half-jokingly said she wanted to lobby me to help her write the ‘Idiots Guide to Dyspraxia’. I looked at the submission form and thought that submitting an idea for a dissertation looked a much more easy option. So we agreed to get permission from the trustees of the dyspraxia Foundation to write a book on Dyspraxia in Adulthood as Mary Colley’s last edition of ‘Living with Dyspraxia’ was not updated after she very sadly passed away in 2009. The book is dedicated to her.
We could have just updated her book but we both wanted it to be a completely new book with the theme that we were surviving in a world where the majority of the population are non-dyspraxic. We also wanted to show that the term ‘dyspraxic’ shouldn’t be embarrassing that needs to be brushed under the carpet, instead it should be something to be proud of. We wanted the book to be positive and inspiring and be good for dyspraxic adult’s emotional well being.
We set up a facebook group with the same title as the book. To provide emancipatory research. We recruited several volunteers to contribute to the book, by writing chapters. Mary and I set questions so that the group could share their experiences of living with dyspraxia and their coping strategies. While the book was being written we had over 200 members with about 20-30 making regular contributions. When the book was finished. I was intending to close the group down.. I didn’t have the heart to do this as membership had more than doubled. The facebook group by popular request became a support group and now we have over 3,000 members. (Mainly thanks to Marys positive posts and encouragement). Mary and I appointed admins to negotiate when members were falling out with each other as it was too much for 2 to manage. For reasons mentioned in my other blog posts My life became hectic and Mary Morris became poorly, so thanks to the Admins for running the group for us.
The book got input from dyspraxic professionals. Including an occupational therapist, Speech and Language therapist, Neurodiversity job coach, crèche worker, librarian, job centre plus worker and several more as well as people from all walks of life.
