What is Dysgraphia?

Dysgraphia causes students to struggle with skills involved in the physical process of writing, including handwriting, typing, and/or spelling. While dysgraphia typically does not affect a student’s ability to plan, organize, or follow the cognitive steps involved in the writing process, the challenges they have with getting their thoughts down in some sort of written form often get in the way of expressing those thoughts clearly. Other conditions, including dyslexia, impaired executive functioning, or ADHD can also impact various stages of the writing process.

What causes dysgraphia? 

Research into the brains of students with dysgraphia has shown an impairment of the student’s orthographic coding, or their ability to remember written words and analyze the individual letters and sounds within those words. It can be difficult to determine without extensive testing whether a student’s issues with fine motor skills or accurate spelling are due to dysgraphia or a motor skill disorder called dyspraxia (which has less to do with writing specifically and more to do with motor skills in general).

Might my child have dysgraphia?

One of the most common signs of dysgraphia is messy handwriting. However, since it takes years of practice for a student to master neat handwriting. Because of this, parents and teachers should look for other signs as well. These include trouble with:

• Forming, sizing, and spacing letters correctly
• Holding down a piece of paper with one hand while writing with the other
• Controlling a pencil or other writing tool
• Using an appropriate amount of pressure when writing
• Maintaining correct posture and hand positioning when writing
• Writing especially slowly
• Spelling

It is important to note that while evaluators once diagnosed dysgraphia, they no longer do. Instead, a child who has undergone proper testing and is found to have a writing disorder might be diagnosed with a “specific learning disorder with impairment in written expression.” These terms are often used interchangeably, but they aren’t exactly equivalent. The latter refers to challenges with the writing process as a whole, while dysgraphia refers to challenges with only the physical tasks involved in writing.

What supports should my child with dysgraphia receive?

The most effective supports for many students with dysgraphia are occupational therapy and/or physical therapy, depending on which aspects of handwriting are most challenging. A therapist can determine specifically which motor skills need the most focus and build a plan on strengthening those skills. Another support students may find helpful is special ergonomic pencil grips, which make the positioning feel less awkward. Assistive technology like speech-to-text tools, can also reduce the writing a student needs to do to complete an assignment.

Looking for more guidance from an expert? Connect with one of our Braintrust learning specialists today for private tutoring! Braintrust educators have the training and expertise to create a better learning experience for your unique child.