Common Causes
Related Conditions
Does dysgraphia count as a disability?
In summary, dysgraphia is a specific learning disability that can be diagnosed and treated. Children with dysgraphia usually have other problems such as difficulty with written expression.
What do people with dysgraphia struggle with?
Dysgraphia is a neurological condition and learning difference in which someone has difficulty with writing for their age level. This can range from issues with the physical act of writing to issues with translating thoughts into written words.
What is dysgraphia called now?
Persistent handwriting difficulties associated with an impairment in motor coordination are now commonly understood to be a particular aspect of Developmental Coordination Disorder (previously known as Dyspraxia).
What is the main cause of dysgraphia?
The cause of the disorder is unknown, but in adults, it is usually associated with damage to the parietal lobe of the brain. Treatment for dysgraphia varies and may include treatment for motor disorders to help control writing movements. Other treatments may address impaired memory or other neurological problems.
What are dysgraphia people good at?
At a glance Dysgraphia refers to a challenge with writing. It impacts skills like handwriting, typing, and spelling. There are many ways people with dysgraphia can improve their writing skills.
What is it like to have dysgraphia?
Living with Dysgraphia. Dysgraphia affects handwriting and fine motor skills. It interferes with spelling, word spacing, and the general ability to put thoughts on paper. It makes the process of writing laboriously slow, with a product that is often impossible to read.
What are the three types of dysgraphia?
The different types of dysgraphia include:Dyslexia dysgraphia. With this form of dysgraphia, written words that a person has not copied from another source are illegible, particularly as the writing goes on. ... Motor dysgraphia. This form of dysgraphia happens when a person has poor fine motor skills. ... Spatial dysgraphia.
Is dysgraphia genetic?
Like other learning disabilities, dysgraphia is highly genetic and often runs in families. If you or another member of your family has dysgraphia, your child is more likely to have it, too.
How common is dysgraphia?
Although the exact prevalence of dysgraphia in the U.S. is unknown, an estimated 10% to 30% of children experience difficulty with writing, some of which can be attributed to dysgraphia, according to a 2020 study in the journal Translational Pediatrics.
How does dysgraphia affect the brain?
With dysgraphia, kids or adults have a harder time planning and executing the writing of sentences, words, and even individual letters. It's not that you don't know how to read, spell, or identify letters and words. Instead, your brain has problems processing words and writing.
Are you born with dysgraphia?
As a neurological condition, dysgraphia is usually present from birth and typically lasts into adulthood. While the condition is mostly genetic, in adults, dysgraphia – and, in extreme cases, agraphia - may develop after a brain injury, especially if the cerebellum is affected.
Does dysgraphia affect math?
Dysgraphia and Math Dysgraphia doesn't limit itself to words--it also affects a students' ability to learn and apply math skills. For instance, students with dysgraphia may: Have inconsistent spacing between numbers and symbols. Omit numbers, letters, and words in writing.
How does dysgraphia affect the brain?
With dysgraphia, kids or adults have a harder time planning and executing the writing of sentences, words, and even individual letters. It's not that you don't know how to read, spell, or identify letters and words. Instead, your brain has problems processing words and writing.
Does dysgraphia affect math?
Dysgraphia and Math Dysgraphia doesn't limit itself to words--it also affects a students' ability to learn and apply math skills. For instance, students with dysgraphia may: Have inconsistent spacing between numbers and symbols. Omit numbers, letters, and words in writing.
What does dysgraphia look like in adults?
Adults with dysgraphia have a hard time writing by hand and may struggle with letter formation, letter, word and line spacing, staying inside the margins, neatness, capitalization/punctuation rules, spelling, word choice, and even grammar.
Is dysgraphia a form of ADHD?
Dysgraphia is a learning disability that sometimes accompanies ADHD and affects writing skills, handwriting and spelling. Here, how to recognize the symptoms.
When is dysgraphia typically diagnosed?
Dysgraphia is most often identified in early elementary school, when children first learn to write. However, it is possible for the disorder to be...
Is there a test for dysgraphia?
There is no single test for dysgraphia. The disorder is typically diagnosed using a battery of assessments, which may include tests of fine motor s...
Is it possible to outgrow dysgraphia?
Dysgraphia, like other learning disabilities, cannot be outgrown or “cured.” However, many people with dysgraphia are able to find ways to cope wit...
Does messy handwriting mean someone has dysgraphia?
Not necessarily. Many people have untidy handwriting but have no other difficulties with writing, and thus would not qualify for a diagnosis of dys...
Is trouble typing a symptom of dysgraphia?
Because dysgraphia is related to problems with fine motor skills, it may manifest, in some cases, as trouble with typing in addition to writing. Ho...
Is dysgraphia a form of dyslexia?
Dysgraphia and dyslexia are sometimes confused for one another—a problem compounded by the fact that they often co-occur. But dysgraphia and dyslex...
Is dysgraphia genetic?
Like other learning disabilities, dysgraphia tends to run in families and is thought to have a strong genetic component. However, the exact cause o...
Can dysgraphia appear suddenly?
Agraphia, or the sudden loss of writing ability, shares many symptoms with dysgraphia, such as the inability to properly form letters or correctly...
What is graphomotor processing?
Graphomotor processing is the ability to transfer components of writing from the brain to the page; a disorder in graphomotor processing therefore...
What is dysgraphia in writing?
More commonly known as “written expression learning disorder,” dysgraphia is a learning disability that involves difficulty with written expression. Dysgraphia can cause issues with spelling, handwriting, and translating thoughts to paper. 1. Students with dysgraphia may struggle to form letters, numbers, and words by hand, ...
How to tell if you have dysgraphia?
Early signs of dysgraphia. Better at communicating through speech than through writing 1. Tight or awkward pencil grip 1. When writing, says words out loud or carefully watches hand 1. Tires easily when writing by hand. Hands are sore when they finish writing. Body position is awkward or eyes are too close to the paper. Illegible handwriting.
What do students with dysgraphia need?
Students with dysgraphia need ongoing, explicit instruction in handwriting, spelling, and composition, but many schools do not offer these services. Look for professionals with full certification and continued professional development related to dysgraphia. Students with dysgraphia respond well to multisensory approaches that use auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile senses, such as the Wilson Reading System ®.
Why do kids have trouble writing?
Trouble with writing can be falsely attributed to laziness or lack of motivation. That means gifted children with dysgraphia often go undiagnosed and miss out on opportunities to address the real issue. As a parent, you are your child’s number one advocate, and it’s never too early to evaluate a potential writing issue. 5
How many children have difficulty writing?
The authors of The Mislabeled Child estimate that as many as one in five children have difficulty expressing themselves through writing. Still, dysgraphia often goes undiagnosed in students. 1
Is dysgraphia undiagnosed?
Fact: Students who write slowly, sloppily, or fail to complete writing assignments well are sometimes labeled “lazy” or “unmotivated.”. While not particularly uncommon, dysgraphia does often go undiagnosed, particularly in gifted children. 5.
Is dysgraphia related to other learning disabilities?
Myth: Dysgraphia is not related to other learning disabilities. Fact: While dysgraphia can and does occur alone, it can also occur alongside attention-deficit disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, dyscalculia, and other learning disabilities. 5.
What is dysgraphia in children?
Dysgraphia is a childhood disorder that results in impaired handwriting, impaired spelling, or both in a child of normal or above average intelligence. It is not a mental health disorder, but rather a learning disability marked by difficulty expressing thoughts and ideas in writing. Dysgraphia is frustrating for a child and can cause great emotional difficulty and distress. A child with dysgraphia may have trouble learning to spell written words and also have trouble writing at a normal speed, but will not necessarily have problems reading or speaking. Dysgraphia can occur in isolation or with dyslexia, which is an impaired ability to read and comprehend written words. It can also co-occur with selective language impairments that cause additional problems with learning written and oral language skills.
Why do children with dysgraphia have difficulty writing?
Children with dysgraphia may have a problem with ortho graphic coding, which is the ability to store written words in working memory or to form permanent memories ...
What kind of helper is needed for dysgraphia?
The team of helpers may include an occupational therapist, a speech and language therapist, special education teacher and, in some cases, a social worker or psychologist to help the child deal with anxiety and frustration. Treatment therapies vary with the type and degree of dysgraphia and may be different for adults with an acquired disorder due to underlying issues that may require very specific types of training.
How do you know if you have dysgraphia?
Symptoms. Signs of dysgraphia may include omitting words from sentences, poor sentence organization, incorrect word usage, poorly formed individual letters, lack of or incorrect punctuation and capitalization, awkward pencil grip or wrist position when writing, and attempts to avoid writing altogether . Children who have dysgraphia but no other ...
What to do if you suspect dysgraphia?
If you have a school-age child whom you suspect may have dysgraphia or a grapho-motor problem, the first step is to contact their teacher and decide whether an evaluation by a school-based learning specialist or occupational therapist is in order. This may be provided automatically with a teacher's recommendation.
How to improve handwriting skills in children?
Children with impaired handwriting ability require early intervention and specialized coaching in all skills related to written language. After an initial assessment of handwriting and other skills related to transcription and written expression, the child’s school most often handles the academic accommodations necessary for improvement. These interventions may involve physical exercises to strengthen hand muscles; reduced writing workload or extended time to complete written assignments; and writing activities that help the child develop motor control and learn to write complete letters, write letters from memory or dictation, increase handwriting speed, and spell the most common and important words they will need to use.
Can dysgraphia be a selective language impairment?
Dysgraphia can occur in isolation or with dyslexia, which is an impaired ability to read and comprehend written words. It can also co-occur with selective language impairments that cause additional problems with learning written and oral language skills.
What are the signs of dysgraphia?
Other tell-tale signs of dysgraphia include: Awkward pencil grip. Poor fine-motor coordination.
What is dysgraphia in writing?
Dysgraphia is a learning disability that results in difficulty with written expression • Children with dysgraphia are able to express themselves fluently orally, but they can’t transfer their ideas to the page • Because they find writing arduous, they may avoid doing it. Children with dysgraphia struggle to write, ...
Why is dysgraphia important for teachers?
Even in early grades, teachers need to be sensitive to dysgraphia when assigning projects to produce posters to be hung on the classroom walls or to write letters correctly on the lines. Children with dysgraphia need encouragement and remediation; there is nothing more discouraging than getting a paper back filled with red circles, corrections, and criticism.
What are accommodations for dysgraphia?
Accommodations are often needed to help dysgraphic children handle written work, including reduction of the load of writing in class and in homework, extended time to produce written work, and assistive technology to allow dictation .
Why do children with dysgraphia struggle to write?
Children with dysgraphia struggle to write, often causing them to experience emotional stress and anxiety. Because they have good verbal skills, parents and teachers expect them to write at the same level as they speak; when they don’t, they may be mistakenly thought of as lacking motivation or careless.
What is the best way to help dysgraphia?
It is critical to identify the underlying problems resulting in dysgraphia; there might be more than one. An Occupational Therapist using a multi-sensory approach can address problems with handwriting, motor sequencing or visual spatial skills. A Speech and Language Therapist or a Special Education teacher can help with language-based problems such as the mastery of grammar, word usage, sequencing, and composition of sentences. A Special Education teacher will work with tools such as a graphic organizer, thought bubbles, and other strategies to help deal with specific executive function problems.
Can dysgraphia be caused by other disorders?
Dysgraphia can occur alone, or in children who also have dyslexia, other language disorders, or ADHD.
What does dysgraphia mean for kids?
Kids with dysgraphia have unclear, irregular, or inconsistent handwriting, often with different slants, shapes, upper- and lower-case letters, and cursive and print styles. They also tend to write or copy things slowly. Parents or teachers may notice symptoms when the child first begins writing assignments in school.
How to tell if a child has dysgraphia?
Parents or teachers may notice symptoms when the child first begins writing assignments in school. Other signs of dysgraphia to watch for include: 1 Cramped grip, which may lead to a sore hand 2 Difficulty spacing things out on paper or within margins (poor spatial planning) 3 Frequent erasing 4 Inconsistency in letter and word spacing 5 Poor spelling, including unfinished words or missing words or letters 6 Unusual wrist, body, or paper position while writing
Why do kids have dysgraphia?
Causes. Scientists aren't sure why dysgraphia happens in children. In adults, it's sometimes related to a brain injury, like a stroke. In kids, this learning disorder usually occurs along with other learning disabilities such as ADHD and dyslexia.
Why is my child's handwriting distorted?
But if your child's handwriting is consistently distorted or unclear, that may be caused by a learning disability called dysgraphia.
What kind of psychologist can diagnose dysgraphia?
A licensed psychologist trained in learning disorders can diagnose dysgraphia. This could be your child's school psychologist. The specialist will give your child academic and writing tests that measure their ability to put thoughts into words and their fine motor skills.
Is there a cure for dysgraphia?
There's no cure for dysgraphia. Treatment varies from child to child and depends on whether they have any other learning disabilities or health conditions. Medication used to treat ADHD has helped with dysgraphia in some kids who have both conditions.
What is dysgraphia?
Dysgraphia is a specific learning disability that affects how easily children acquire written language and how well they use written language to express their thoughts.
What causes dysgraphia?
Research to date has shown orthographic coding in working memory is related to handwriting.
Why is diagnosis of dysgraphia and related learning disabilities important?
Without diagnosis, children may not receive early intervention or specialized instruction in all the relevant skills that are interfering with their learning of written language. Considering that many schools do not have systematic instructional programs in handwriting and spelling, it is important to assess whether children need explicit, systematic instruction in handwriting and spelling in addition to word reading and decoding. Many schools offer accommodations in testing and teaching to students with dysgraphia, but these students also need ongoing, explicit instruction in handwriting, spelling, and composition. It is also important to determine if a child with dysgraphia may also have dyslexia and require special help with reading or OWL LD (SLI) and need special help with oral as well as written language.
What kinds of instructional activities improve the handwriting of children with dysgraphia?
Initially, children with impaired handwriting benefit from activities that support learning to form letters:
Are there research-supported assessment tools for diagnosing dysgraphia?
Yes. See Berninger (2007a) and Milone (2007) below for assessing handwriting problems associated with dysgraphia. Also, see Berninger (2007b) and Berninger, O’Donnell, and Holdnack (2008) for using these tests and other evidence- based assessment procedures in early identification, prevention, and diagnosis for treatment planning and linking them to evidence- based handwriting and spelling instruction (also see Troia, 2008).
What is the name of the disorder that affects handwriting?
Children with impaired handwriting may also have attention-deficit disorder (ADHD) — inattentive, hyperactive, or combined inattentive and hyperactive subtypes. Children with this kind of dysgraphia may respond to a combination of explicit handwriting instruction plus stimulant medication, but appropriate diagnosis of ADHD by a qualified professional and monitoring of response to both instruction and medication are needed.
What does the prefix "dys" mean in a letter?
The prefix dys indicates that there is impairment. Graph refers to producing letter forms by hand. The suffix ia refers to having a condition. Thus, dysgraphia is the condition of impaired letter writing by hand, that is, disabled handwriting and sometimes spelling.
