Hi, I’m Nathan and I have verbal dyspraxia and from Ireland. I was diagnosed with verbal dyspraxia at the age of 4 and attended a special needs unit for two years in early primary school, before going back into mainstream. I am also dyslexic.

Until I was about 8 years old, I could only make sounds and noises, it wasn’t until then that I started making clear words, and some people with the condition do not speak at all and remain non-verbal for life.

Almost 20 years on, I am proud to share that I am in a very rare group [of people] who can say I attended a special needs unit and am training to be a primary school teacher!

Growing up with verbal dyspraxia was not easy, and as everyone with the condition knows, it does not go away ever, you have it for life.

I have issues controlling the volume of my voice and simply telling me to ‘speak up’ is not going to fix it. As I get nervous my voice will get softer and softer, I don’t know this is happening and need a gentle reminder to speak up. I also have difficulty pronouncing some sounds and words and get nervous when this happens, which starts the volume issues.

I was delighted to be accepted onto teacher training and really want to use my time as a teacher to help all children with neurodiverse conidiations, and them without. Verbal dyspraxia means I have to make amendments to get my voice heard, i.e. using clapping in the classroom, instead of trying to talk over the children.

I am not the boy who talks wired, I am not the boy with the funny speech or the boy with the soft tone, I am Nathan and I have verbal dyspraxia.

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