Can Someone With Dyspraxia Do Reception Work?

[abbeyleigh]

Would a Receptionist job be to hard for someone with dyspraxia ad I been told sometimes its not

[Ringlet]

I think it would depend on the type of dyspraxia that affects the person.
Is it motor dyspraxia, where co-ordination is a problem?
Or oral or verbal dyspraxia?
Sometimes people can be diagnosed with a combination of the above - my husband's niece has both motor and verbal dyspraxia. she is 19 years, and was diagnosed as a child.
There are also different degrees of severity of dyspraxia. People with mild dyspraxia can function in a perfectly normal way. The niece I mentioned has a mild form of the disorder. She is just finishing first year at university, and works part time in a supermarket to help with tuition fees.
So I think my answer to your question is - yes, a person with dyspraxia could be very successful as receptionist. It depends on many factors, not least the type and severity of the disorder that the individual has, the personality of the individual in terms of motivation and personal confidence, and the level of support the individual has in a family and social setting.

[Ringlet]

I forgot to say, if you are the person considering a receptionist's job, go for it! You won't know until you try it.
Good luck, I wish you every success.

[Buenchico]

My answer to this question is much he same as to the on that you asked about admin work. i.e. that it largely depends upon the level of dyspraxia (which can be anywhere from very mild to extremely severe).

For example, I've supervised a team of people working on a fairly new housing development in Didcot. We were going from door to door, asking householders loads of questions about their use of public transport and cycle routes etc (on behalf of the site developers, who had an obligation to do so periodically under the terms of their planning consent).

One of the guys on the team has dyspraxia. He's a lovely guy, highly intelligent (with a degree in mathematics) and with a far better work ethic than anyone else that I've worked with on that job. However he wasn't well-suited to the task, as he lacked the ability to handle face-to-face contact with strangers well and was unable to pick up on non-verbal communication signals (e.g. whether someone was happy to speak to him or whether they just wanted to tell him to F off). He simply wasn't a 'people person' at all. He was also very poor at keeping all of his paperwork neat and tidy and recording data in the way that was required. If you asked me if that particular guy with dyspraxia was suitable for a reception job then, regrettably, my answer would most definitely have to be a great big "No".

So you need to ask yourself how your dyspraxia exhibits itself to others. If it makes you seem 'decidedly odd', as the guy I'm referring to almost certainly did when people answered their doors to him, then reception work isn't for you. If you can't fill in forms (such as telephone messages) clearly and then keep them properly organised, as this guy seemed to be unable to do, then again, reception work isn't for you. However if your dyspraxia is less severe, or presents itself to the world in a far different way, you might actually be the ideal candidate for such a post!

[douglas9401]

Channel your inner Harriet Kemsley and go for it.