Dysgraphia
What is dysgraphia?
Dysgraphia is a condition that causes trouble with written expression. The term comes from the Greek words dys (“impaired”) and graphia (“making letter forms by hand”). Dysgraphia is a brain-based issue. It’s not the result of a child being lazy.
For many children with dysgraphia, just holding a pencil and organizing letters on a line is difficult. Their handwriting tends to be messy. Many struggle with spelling and putting thoughts on paper.[1] These and other writing tasks—like putting ideas into language that is organized, stored and then retrieved from memory—may all add to struggles with written expression.
Different professionals may use different terms to describe your child’s struggle with written expression. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-5) doesn’t use the term dysgraphia but uses the phrase “an impairment in written expression” under the category of “specific learning disorder.” This is the term used by most doctors and psychologists.
Some school psychologists and teachers use the term dysgraphia as a type of shorthand to mean “a disorder in written expression.”
To qualify for special education services, a child must have an issue named or described in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). While IDEA doesn’t use the term “dysgraphia,” it describes it under the category of “specific learning disability.” This includes issues with understanding or using language (spoken or written) that make it difficult to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or to do mathematical calculations.
Whatever definition is used, it’s important to understand that slow or sloppy writing isn’t necessarily a sign that your child isn’t trying hard enough. Writing requires a complex set of fine motor and language processing skills. For kids with dysgraphia, the writing process is harder and slower. Without help, a child with dysgraphia may have a difficult time in school.
What is dysgraphia?
Dysgraphia is a condition that causes trouble with written expression. The term comes from the Greek words dys (“impaired”) and graphia (“making letter forms by hand”). Dysgraphia is a brain-based issue. It’s not the result of a child being lazy.
For many children with dysgraphia, just holding a pencil and organizing letters on a line is difficult. Their handwriting tends to be messy. Many struggle with spelling and putting thoughts on paper.[1] These and other writing tasks—like putting ideas into language that is organized, stored and then retrieved from memory—may all add to struggles with written expression.
Different professionals may use different terms to describe your child’s struggle with written expression. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-5) doesn’t use the term dysgraphia but uses the phrase “an impairment in written expression” under the category of “specific learning disorder.” This is the term used by most doctors and psychologists.
Some school psychologists and teachers use the term dysgraphia as a type of shorthand to mean “a disorder in written expression.”
To qualify for special education services, a child must have an issue named or described in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). While IDEA doesn’t use the term “dysgraphia,” it describes it under the category of “specific learning disability.” This includes issues with understanding or using language (spoken or written) that make it difficult to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or to do mathematical calculations.
Whatever definition is used, it’s important to understand that slow or sloppy writing isn’t necessarily a sign that your child isn’t trying hard enough. Writing requires a complex set of fine motor and language processing skills. For kids with dysgraphia, the writing process is harder and slower. Without help, a child with dysgraphia may have a difficult time in school.
How common it is
Dysgraphia is not a familiar term. But symptoms of dysgraphia are not uncommon, especially in young children who are starting to learn how to write. If a child continues to struggle with writing despite plenty of practice and corrective feedback, it’s a good idea to take a closer look to see whether dysgraphia is an underlying cause.
What causes dysgraphia?
Experts aren’t sure what causes dysgraphia and other issues of written expression. Normally, the brain takes in information through the senses and stores it to use later. Before a person starts writing, he retrieves information from his short- or long-term memory and gets organized to begin writing.
In a person with dysgraphia, experts believe one or both of the next steps in the writing process go off track:
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Organizing information that is stored in memory
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Getting words onto paper by handwriting or typing them
This results in a written product that’s hard to read and filled with errors. And most important, it does not convey what the child knows and what he intended to write.
Working memory may also play a role in dysgraphia. A child may have trouble with what’s called “orthographic coding.” This is the ability to store unfamiliar written words in the working memory.[2] As a result, he may have a hard time remembering how to print or write a letter or a word.
There may also be a genetic link, with dysgraphia running in families.
What are the symptoms for dysgraphia ?
The symptoms of dysgraphia fall into six categories: visual-spatial, fine motor, language processing, spelling/handwriting, grammar, and organization of language. A child may have dysgraphia if his writing skills lag behind those of his peers and he has at least some of these symptoms:
Visual-Spatial Difficulties
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Has trouble with shape-discrimination and letter spacing
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Has trouble organizing words on the page from left to right
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Writes letters that go in all directions, and letters and words that run together on the page
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Has a hard time writing on a line and inside margins
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Has trouble reading maps, drawing or reproducing a shape
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Copies text slowly
Fine Motor Difficulties
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Has trouble holding a pencil correctly, tracing, cutting food, tying shoes, doing puzzles, texting and keyboarding
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Is unable to use scissors well or to color inside the lines
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Holds his wrist, arm, body or paper in an awkward position when writing
Language Processing Issues
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Has trouble getting ideas down on paper quickly
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Has trouble understanding the rules of games
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Has a hard time following directions
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Loses his train of thought
Spelling Issues/Handwriting Issues
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Has a hard time understanding spelling rules
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Has trouble telling if a word is misspelled
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Can spell correctly orally but makes spelling errors in writing
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Spells words incorrectly and in many different ways
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Has trouble using spell-check—and when he does, he doesn’t recognize the correct word
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Mixes upper- and lowercase letters
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Blends printing and cursive
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Has trouble reading his own writing
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Avoids writing
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Gets a tired or cramped handed when he writes
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Erases a lot
Grammar and Usage Problems
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Doesn’t know how to use punctuation
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Overuses commas and mixes up verb tenses
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Doesn’t start sentences with a capital letter
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Doesn’t write in complete sentences but writes in a list format
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Writes sentences that “run on forever”
Organization of Written Language
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Has trouble telling a story and may start in the middle
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Leaves out important facts and details, or provides too much information
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Assumes others know what he’s talking about
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Uses vague descriptions
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Writes jumbled sentences
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Never gets to the point, or makes the same point over and over
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Is better at conveying ideas when speaking
The symptoms of dysgraphia also vary depending on a child’s age. Signs generally appear when children are first learning to write.
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Preschool children may be hesitant to write and draw and say that they hate coloring.
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School-age children may have illegible handwriting that can be mix of cursive and print. They may have trouble writing on a line and may print letters that are uneven in size and height. Some children also may need to say words out loud when writing or have trouble putting their thoughts on paper.
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Teenagers may write in simple sentences. Their writing may have many more grammatical mistakes than the writing of other kids their age.[3]