Us:

Hates plates bc the food just goes off the edge

Hates cups and water bottles without straws bc we she constantly pour things on ourself

Trips over things constantly

Likes digital art bc there’s a back button that helps when our hands don’t move right

Has always had a really hard time estimating how much force is behind us

Has always had proprioception problems.

By canon standards, Riebeck is considered clumsy by the villagers (and themself).

But there's a difference between clumsiness and having a brain that handles fine motor skills and spatial awareness differently. They're not defective, just unique.

Sadly, most people who grow up with Dyspraxia (especially when undiagnosed) learn to be hyper aware of their bodies just to navigate basic day to day tasks. The need to overcompensate can be extremely exhausting. To top that off, some even come to distrust their own limbs, and therefore, their capableness. Without that trust of self, Everything is more scary, and 'confidence' feels like an unattainable dream. No one is more aware of their limitations than they are...

And it doesn't stop there. Dyspraxia affects speech and communication as well, and can result in things like verbal ticks, stuttering, mumbling, and having trouble conveying our thoughts and feelings in a way that others understand. Outsiders might even be inclined to 'hurry us along' to finish our sentences before we've said what we need to, cut us off, or talk over us. Because of this, we eventually start to mute and discredit ourselves...

On the other hand, if the topic is something we are passionate about, we may suddenly become very articulate when talking, and might even do so at length without pause.

Despite these constant challenges, people with Dyspraxia can become highly skilled at tasks requiring fine-motor movements, and we are no less intelligent than our neurotypical peers. In fact, we might even learn to excel at tasks that require a great deal of coordination, like music, art, operating a vehicle, or dancing.

Most importantly, people with Dyspraxia, like many who fall on the spectrum of neurodiverse traits, are beautiful living demonstrations of courage, creativity, and curiosity.

Recently, I have been doing alot of medical tests and have made the discovery that I have multiple chronic conditions that have been silently affecting my lifestyle for years. Due to some hereditary stuff on my mom's side, i was diagnosed with cerebellar agenesis and hEDS.

There isn't really many concrete treatments for either but I feel that it could prevent many dangerous falls (I have fallen down the stairs multiple times throughout my life) for me to have a mobility aid in the form of a service dog specifically for balance support, since that is one of my biggest challenges with coordination.

I've been doing extensive research to see if it would be a good fit but I would like to hear from real people with experience about their thoughts on the matter.

If you're a mobility service dog handler, I'd especially love to hear what made you decide a service dog was the right mobility aid, what challenges you didn't expect, and whether you'd recommend one for someone with chronic balance issues.