Dysgraphia is a form of learning disability characterized by difficulty in accurately writing down words, individual letters or numbers. Children with the disorder typically manifest symptoms when they first begin writing, while adults often develop symptoms after some form of physical trauma. Coping strategies for dysgraphia in children include treatment of any motor disorders and a variety of classroom adaptations.
Dysgraphia Basics
Dysgraphia can develop from an inability to properly process visual information, the National Center for Learning Disabilities reports. Your child may also develop dysgraphia as a result of faulty speech processing. The reasons behind these processing problems are not known, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Children with dysgraphia often have other additional learning problems, but these problems do not typically result in significant academic or social impairment.
Early Signs
Children with dysgraphia exhibit a number of warning signs when they first begin learning how to write, according to the National Center for Learning Disabilities. Examples of potential signs include problems forming letter shapes, an awkward body position or pencil grip during writing, inability to write on a line or draw within supplied margins and lack of consistent spacing between words or letters. Your child may also have difficulty understanding the different functions of uppercase and lowercase letters, fatigue rapidly while writing or avoid assignments that involve writing or drawing.
Later Signs
After your child begins writing, a number of other signs of dysgraphia may appear, the National Center for Learning Disabilities notes. These include mixing cursive and print forms of writing, having illegible handwriting, omitting or failing to complete words in a sentence, repeating words out loud while writing them down, having problems thinking of words to write down and difficulty comprehending words after they are written. Your teenager may show signs of dysgraphia that include problems with grammar or syntax, problems organizing or tracking thoughts on paper and noticeable differences between his comprehension of written and spoken ideas or subjects.
Treatment and Adaptations
If your child's dysgraphia results from inability to properly coordinate his movements while writing, he may require treatment to address muscular or motor control problems, according to the NINDS. West Virginia University lists potential classroom adaptations for children with dysgraphia that include allowing students to dictate some of their tests or assignments, providing students extra time to complete assignments, asking students to outline their thoughts before they begin writing and providing paper that has raised lines to guide a student's writing. Your child may also benefit from learning how to type and recording his initial writing ideas on tape or using a computer program that has a spell check function.
Considerations
There are no concrete criteria for a dysgraphia diagnosis, West Virginia University reports. As a result, some evaluators may call a child dysgrahpic even when classroom adaptations are not necessary. Check with special education services in your school district to see how they define dysgraphia and to learn about any adaptation approaches they recommend.
