Watch me do it
Testimonials
Feedback and inspiration from our website users and networks.
Testimonials from people with dyspraxia and their family members:
Short and easy to follow
“As a dyspraxic person, I welcome the creation of the ‘Watch Me Do It’ video library. Each video is short and easy to follow and can be watched as many times as needed. I would’ve welcomed videos like this when I was younger, particularly as I tended to avoid some of the activities covered, such as chopping vegetables and tying shoelaces, but even now as an adult, these videos could be useful. Thank you and well done to all involved.”
Dyspraxic adult
Increased his sense of independence
“As the parent of an adult son with dyspraxia, I think these videos would have been an excellent resource for both of us in several ways. For him, I think being able to watch tasks from a first-person, left-handed perspective would have increased his sense of independence and made him feel less alone with his struggles. It would also have reduced some of the frustration involved when he was trying to make sense of watching a right-handed mum doing the same tasks from the ‘wrong’ perspective. For me, I believe that watching him practise with the videos would have helped me to understand his individual challenges more, whilst also learning how to better to support him.”
Parent of dyspraxic person
Very insightful
“This concept of exploring dyspraxia and how repetitive movements can enhance learning and movement is very insightful. As a dyspraxic child and as an adult I find repetition helpful, and I hope this project raises awareness of this poorly understood condition.”
Dyspraxic adult
A fabulous way to help children learn
“The website is very clear and easy to use. The video library is such a fabulous way to help (children) learn new skills. My son has found the videos really easy to follow because they are filmed as if he is doing the action himself. I wish we had this resource when he was younger to help him with issues like putting on shoes, tying laces and doing up zips. This is going to help so many children and families with everyday tasks that used to take ages to learn.”
Katherine M, Dyspraxia researcher and parent of a dyspraxic child
A lifesaver
“As an adult with dyspraxia, these videos would have been a lifesaver when I was learning these movement skills. I remember how difficult I found learning to tie shoelaces. As all the videos I could find were front-on, I had to reverse all the movements and that was not easy for me. The same applied when my dad was showing me. These videos would have been so helpful as they show the movements from the same viewpoint you have when doing the movements and that makes them easier to follow.”
Alfred Martin, Adult with dyspraxia
A game changer!
“As an adult with Dyspraxia, I wish that these videos had existed when I was trying to learn these motor skills. I always struggled when people tried to show me how to do things because I just couldn’t mirror what they were showing me. I can see how these videos will help children with dyspraxia and think they are a game changer!”
Alex Wheeler, Adult with dyspraxia
This is amazing!
“This is amazing! If I had videos like this, for everything I was trying to learn, I would be able to overcome my dyspraxic moments so much faster and better!”
Søren, Adult with dyspraxia
Short and easy to follow
“As a dyspraxic person, I welcome the creation of the ‘Watch Me Do It’ video library. Each video is short and easy to follow and can be watched as many times as needed. I would’ve welcomed videos like this when I was younger, particularly as I tended to avoid some of the activities covered, such as chopping vegetables and tying shoelaces, but even now as an adult, these videos could be useful. Thank you and well done to all involved.”
Dyspraxic adult
Testimonials from therapists and educators who support people with dyspraxia:
Empowering
“As a dyspraxic person and an occupational therapist, I find the application of the research into mental imagery and motor learning empowering. The video library and resources are also presented in such a neutral way that the child, parent, teacher or therapist can be flexible and innovative in how they choose to use them. Personally, I could think of lots of creative ways to incorporate Watch Me Do It for self-coaching and I’m sure the children will enjoy doing the same.”
Occupational Therapist
Great videos
“Great videos to support people with dyspraxia to learn useful skills. I found the research demonstrating their impact really interesting and I will be recommending these to pupils we work with.”
Julie Showell, Specialist teacherHS
Very useful for children with DCD
“As a physiotherapist, I understand the importance of videos in learning movements and exercises. This website will be useful for children with dyspraxia to learn everyday movement skills. As the videos of the skills are made from first-person perspective, it makes the videos very useful for children with DCD.”
Smarak Mishra, Advanced Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist
Wonderful to see
“Personally, I feel the videos are a nice way for pupils to learn everyday/new skills, and for them to work on their hand-eye coordination. I have found that the videos have been useful for my pupils to look at, and have seen a progression in their skills after watching the videos and completing the tasks themselves. I have seen progression from them, and the look of enjoyment when they have completed the task has been wonderful to see. I hope they continue to use these videos as a way of skill development, so they can continue to gain a solid understanding of how to complete the tasks and learn new skills along the way.”
Caitlin Jones, ALP Year 7 Facilitator at Darland High School in Wrexham
Huge benefit to children and young people
“Watch Me Do It will be of huge benefit to children and young people who may be unable to access intervention via an Occupational Therapist, who may be on long waiting lists, or whose challenges may not require the expertise of an occupational therapist in order for them to succeed. The fact that it is free and so easily accessible to all, is a huge bonus!”
Julie Davis, Managing Director, Future Steps Occupational Therapy
Practical and accessible
“This online resource for children, young people and their families is practical and accessible. It has great potential to positively impact the functional and independence skills for children and young people who can find these everyday activities challenging. It provides a clear visual guide which the young person and their parent/carer or professional can work through together to achieve the skills. Once the skills have been mastered the young person’s life will be significantly enhanced in terms of their independence, social skills, and self-esteem. I will be using this resource in my practice and promoting it widely.”
Roz Wall, Independent Children’s Occupational Therapist at SensoryWise Bramhall Ltd & NHS
Very helpful for children with DCD!
“This website will be very helpful for children with DCD! It allows children to watch videos of tasks they would like to learn whenever they want to and as often as they want to. I am very enthusiastic to see if we can help children in The Netherlands as well using these videos.”
Hilde Krajenbrink, Specialist in Physical Activity, Knowledge Centre for Sport & Physical Activity (The Netherlands)
Real-world benefits
“As a specialist teacher with 18 years’ experience in a UK Further Education College working with young people with dyspraxia, I can see the real-world benefits of a resource like the ‘Watch Me Do It’ video library. The first-person viewpoint of the videos avoids any issues of left/right confusion or mental rotation problems. Each clip can be replayed so that the child can focus on a particular skill and learn at their own pace until they have mastered it. Simple and effective – we look forward to using it and will recommend to others.”
Specialist Teacher and SpLD Assessor working in the Staffordshire area
Testimonials from academics researching dyspraxia:
A meaningful resource for children with DCD
“The Watch Me Do It website is a great demonstration that research may be transformed into a meaningful resource for children with DCD and their families. The first-person perspective is an important aspect to the videos’ suitability and potential effectiveness for the users. The videos also feature activities that are highly relevant to the daily functions of children, and I am excited to see what other activities will be featured in the future. The information shared in the website is also potentially useful for therapists and teachers who might find the easily digestible summary of research applicable to their own practices. I can imagine that the website may be really helpful for children who struggle with coordinated movement tasks, their families, and the professionals who work with them.”
Dr Catherine M Capio, Motor development researcher and Physiotherapist at Hong Kong Metropolitan University
Developed following rigorous research
“This is a wonderful resource which has been developed following rigorous research studies demonstrating the potential usefulness of observational learning in children with Dyspraxia / DCD. I would recommend it to anyone living with Dyspraxia / DCD to help support those activities of daily living which can be so challenging.”
Prof Kate Wilmut, Dyspraxia researcher at Oxford Brookes University
An excellent resource
“The ‘Watch me do it’ program is the perfect example of how scientific research can translate to real-world outcomes for children with Dyspraxia/Developmental Coordination Disorder. Backed by decades of research, this evidence-based program is easy to administer, fun, and has been shown to support improvement in motor skills in many children. What an excellent resource for children, families and clinicians alike!”
A/Prof Christian Hyde, Dyspraxia researcher at Deakin University (Australia)
A unique and widely accessible approach
“As a researcher focused on improving the lives of children with movement difficulties like dyspraxia/DCD, the creation of this website is really exciting! The video library offers a unique and widely accessible approach that combines watching and imagining movements, which is a technique that research has shown to be effective in helping children improve their movement skills. These videos are also designed with children and families in mind, making it an easy resource to follow, as well as engaging! It is also great to know that these videos were created with input from clinicians and families who understand dyspraxia/DCD. It is really rewarding to see years of research and collaboration result in a resource that has the potential to make a real difference in the lives of these children and their families.”
Dr Pamela Barhoun, Dyspraxia researcher at Deakin University (Australia)
A handy practice tool
“Substantial research shows that mental practice, involving action observation and motor imagery, can enhance movement skills. This web-based resource is an excellent example of how research into fundamental cognitive mechanisms can be translated into a handy practical tool. Over time, I suspect this resource will become a go-to resource for people with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) to learn new skills and practice existing ones. These activities can be practitioner-led or self-administered, for example, at home or in school. I believe this has the potential to have significant reach and impact on people’s lives, helping them to live more resourcefully with DCD.”
Dr Daniel Eaves, Researcher in movement skills development at Newcastle University
Feedback from parents whose children benefitted from our videos in research projects:
“This time four weeks ago, it took [name] eight minutes to button up a shirt and he couldn’t even begin to tie his laces. Today, his best time for the buttons was 42 seconds, and the laces? Nailed them. Even despite being knackered after yesterday, he was amazing, as always. My superhero. Thank you so much Manchester Met DCD Research for all the amazing work you are doing.”
“The videos definitely aided [name]’s learning. He mastered shoelaces in particular from watching the video … He picked up the techniques well and enjoyed all the tasks.”
“I think the videos really helped [name] to understand the processes needed for the tasks and they’ve definitely worked!”
“These videos were incredibly helpful and awesome! Thank you!”
“The videos were really helpful from a parent’s perspective, especially with the shoelaces and seeing it from a child’s perspective.”
“I believe that without the videos to watch and learn, from the perspective as if the hands belonged to [name], that learning would not have been as successful … I would definitely recommend using the videos again.”
“Good to learn from a first-person perspective rather than mirror-imaging.”
“I thought the videos were helpful … We have really benefitted from the intervention. Thank you!!”
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