“IT’S hard for me in a way that I can’t easily explain, but basically it’s a condition that makes my brain take longer to process information.

"A task like washing up might sound easy for average people but it’s complicated for people like me because I get all mixed up.”

For Rudheath teenager Brad Halliwell, dyspraxia is something that has impacted upon his daily life since he was a toddler.

And while this developmental coordination disorder is surprisingly common in children and adults, it’s something which is poorly understood by those whose lives aren’t affected by it.

Which is why the 19-year-old, who attended Stockport School and Stockport College, is speaking up in the hope of helping people learn more about it.

“What I want to achieve in telling my story is to educate people about what it is,  because quite often people don't know the facts about it and they just call people like me lazy or clumsy, even though it is not my fault.

“Dyspraxia is a neurological disorder which affects your co-ordination in normal day-to-day activities like catching a ball, handwriting and organisation skills.

“For me, having lived with this condition for 19 years, it is very frustrating. Sometimes when I read instructions, I can miss a step, so I get frustrated because I get things wrong.”

Dyspraxia is usually evident from an early age and it makes it difficult for people to carry out everyday physical activities that others manage easily. In young children it can present in children being late to reach milestones such as sitting, crawling, walking and talking.

“At three years old I was still crawling and I couldn't walk, so my mum and dad took me to the doctor to get diagnosed. I found out what it was when I was in year eight in high school,” explained Brad.

“When I first found out that I had this condition, loads of questions came into my head like, ‘why me?’ and ‘can this be cured’?”

Over the years Brad has learned to live with the condition by pushing himself on tasks that many people would take for granted.

“Sometimes when I wash pots I really struggle but I keep at it. The only thing I want people to do for me to help is to encourage me to keep on doing activities.”

He added: “The reason I want to tell people about me and my life with this condition is because I want to raise awareness of dyspraxia and also I want to let people who have this condition know that they are not alone.”

To find out more about dyspraxia visit dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk