[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 112 (Friday, August 3, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8976-S8977]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 65--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS THAT 
           ALL AMERICANS SHOULD BE MORE INFORMED OF DYSPRAXIA

  Ms. LANDRIEU (for herself and Mr. Breaux) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions.

                            S. Con. Res. 65

       Whereas an estimated 1 in 20 children suffers from the 
     developmental disorder dyspraxia;
       Whereas 70 percent of those affected by dyspraxia are male;
       Whereas dyspraxics may be of average or above average 
     intelligence but are often behaviorally immature;
       Whereas symptoms of dyspraxia consist of clumsiness, poor 
     body awareness, reading and writing difficulties, speech 
     problems, and learning disabilities, though not all of these 
     will apply to every dyspraxic;
       Whereas there is no cure for dyspraxia, but the earlier a 
     child is treated the greater the chance of developmental 
     maturation;
       Whereas dyspraxics may be shunned within their own peer 
     group because they do not fit in;
       Whereas most dyspraxic children are dismissed as ``slow'' 
     or ``clumsy'' and are therefore not properly diagnosed;

[[Page S8977]]

       Whereas more than 50 percent of educators have never heard 
     of dyspraxia;
       Whereas education and information about dyspraxia are 
     important to detection and treatment; and
       Whereas Congress as an institution, and Members of Congress 
     as individuals, are in unique positions to help raise the 
     public awareness about dyspraxia: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) all Americans should be more informed of dyspraxia, its 
     easily recognizable symptoms, and proper treatment;
       (2) the Secretary of Education should establish and promote 
     a campaign in elementary and secondary schools across the 
     Nation to encourage the social acceptance of these children; 
     and
       (3) the Federal Government has a responsibility to--
       (A) endeavor to raise awareness about dyspraxia;
       (B) consider ways to increase the knowledge of possible 
     therapy and access to health care services for people with 
     dyspraxia; and
       (C) endeavor to inform educators on how to recognize 
     dyspraxic symptoms and to appropriately handle this disorder.

  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I rise today to say just a few words on 
the resolution I have submitted concerning Dyspraxia, a developmental 
disorder that affects five percent of American children each year. My 
intent is to increase the public's awareness of this disability and to 
encourage each of my colleagues to do the same.
  Let me share with you a few facts. Dyspraxia is caused from the 
malformation of the neurons of the brain, thus resulting in messages 
not being properly transmitted to the body. Areas such as movement, 
language, perception, and thought are affected. Dyspraxia children fail 
to achieve the expected levels of development. Due to difficulties, 
these kids are often shunned from their peer groups because they do not 
fit in. One in twenty children suffers from Dyspraxia. Seventy percent 
of those affected are male, and in children suffering from extreme 
emotional and behavioral difficulties the incidence is likely to be 
more than fifty percent. There is no cure for Dyspraxia, but the 
earlier a child is diagnosed the greater the chance of developmental 
maturation. However, many times these children are dismissed as 
``clumsy'' and ``slow'' and are never given a chance to improve, 
finding it hard to succeed under such harsh speculations. More than 
fifty percent of our educators are unaware that this disability even 
exists. With such alarming statistics, the number of children 
recognized cannot be expected to increase.
  One of my interns has a younger brother that suffers from this 
disorder. Borden Wilson is actually a success story. At age 4, Borden's 
parents noted that he was not able to perform tasks appropriate for his 
age. He was not speaking much, even with encouragement. After going 
through a battery of tests performed by various specialists, the 
problem was identified as Dyspraxia. Upon suggestion, Borden began 
speech therapy, occupational therapy, and many activities, such as a 
more structured kindergarten, T-ball, swim team, and karate. Borden's 
speech is now improving with every day, but one would notice that it is 
``halted.'' He has to concentrate on all that he says. School was 
definitely a battle to be fought. Borden needs a lot of repetition to 
learn, and learning is easier when all five senses are stimulated. 
Spelling lists are practiced the entire week in advance. As one can 
imagine, Borden needs constant encouragement. It is very discouraging 
to work twice as hard as everyone else and still not possibly be on a 
level to compete. Borden is 14 years old now. Through the hard work of 
teachers, therapists, and family, he has overcome many of his problems 
and is successful in both school and extracurricular activities. I am 
pleased to announce that Borden now maintains a 4.0 grade point average 
and placed in the ninety-nine percentile on his California Achievement 
Test.
  This is why it is so vital that we make people aware of Dyspraxia. 
With proper diagnosis and treatment, all of these children can 
experience the same level of success that Borden has been able to 
achieve. I hope that my colleagues will come together in support of 
this important legislation to raise consciousness of this disability.

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