Dysgraphia

Definition
Dysgraphia is a neurological condition in which someone has difficulty turning
their thoughts into written language for their age and ability to think, despite
exposure to adequate instruction and education. 

Dysgraphia is a learning disability of written expression, that affects the ability

to write, primarily handwriting, but also coherence.
It is a specific learning disability (SLD) as well as a transcription disability,
meaning that it is a writing disorder associated with impaired handwriting,
orthographic coding and finger sequencing (the movement of muscles required
to write).
Impairment of handwriting ability that is characterized chiefly by very poor or
often illegible writing or writing that takes an unusually long time and great
effort to complete.
Types of Dysgraphia
1. Dyslexic dysgraphia:
Children with this variety of dysgraphia struggle to write words unless traced or
copied. Writing skills tend to decline as the word, sentence, or assignment goes on.
Poor spelling can also be a challenge. However, fine motor skills and drawing are
usually unaffected.
2. Motor dysgraphia:
This form of dysgraphia greatly affects fine motor skills, and often leads to illegible handwriting. Also
with this dysgraphic variety, drawing and copying skills can also suffer. Thankfully, spelling skills are
typically unaltered.

3. Spatial dysgraphia:
This condition causes difficulty in the spatial relationship between the writing tool
and the medium, such as paper or a whiteboard. This spatial reasoning issue
affects handwriting skills, note-taking, copying, and drawing. However, fine
motor skills and spelling remain average.
4. Phonological Dysgraphia:

Notable in the spelling of unfamiliar words, non-words, and phonetically irregular

words. Difficulty with phonemes and blending appropriately. It presents as writing
and spelling difficulties in which the spelling of unfamiliar words, nonword, and
phonetically irregular words is impaired.

5. Lexical Dysgraphia:

The last type is lexical dysgraphia. The child can spell but relies on standard
sound to letter patterns with misspellings of irregular words.

 Relies on sound-to-letter patterns

 Misspellings in irregular words

Symptoms of Dysgraphia

Illegible handwriting is a common sign of dysgraphia, but not everyone with messy
penmanship has the disorder. It’s also possible to have neat handwriting if you
have dysgraphia, though it may take you a long time and a lot of effort to write
neatly.
Some common characteristics of dysgraphia include:

 incorrect spelling and capitalization

 mix of cursive and print letters
 inappropriate sizing and spacing of letters
 difficulty copying words
 slow or labored writing
 difficulty visualizing words before writing them
 unusual body or hand position when writing
 tight hold on pen or pencil resulting in hand cramps
 watching your hand while you write
 saying words aloud while writing
 omitting letters and words from sentences

Effects of Dysgraphia

 People with dysgraphia often have trouble concentrating on other things while
writing. This can make it difficult to take notes during class or a meeting
because so much attention is being paid to getting each word down on paper.
Other things that are said may be missed.
 Students with dysgraphia may also be accused of being sloppy or lazy because
their handwriting isn’t neat. This can affect self-esteem and lead to anxiety, a
lack of confidence, and negative attitudes toward school.

Causes of Dysgraphia

 If dysgraphia appears in childhood, it’s usually the result of a problem with

orthographic coding. This is an aspect of working memory that allows you to
permanently remember written words, and the way your hands or fingers
must move to write those words.
 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.

 When dysgraphia develops in adults, the cause is usually a stroke or other

brain injury. In particular, injury to the brain’s left parietal lobe may lead to
dysgraphia. You have a right and left parietal lobe in the upper part of your
brain. Each is associated with a range of skills, such as reading and writing, as
well as sensory processing, including pain, heat, and cold.
Who’s at Increased Risk for Dysgraphia?
Researchers are still learning the reasons why some children have learning
disabilities, such as dysgraphia. Learning disabilities often run in families Trusted
Source or are related to prenatal development, such as being born prematurely.
Children with dysgraphia often have other learning disabilities. For example,
having attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may raise the risk Trusted
Source of having dysgraphia. That’s because attention is closely linked to both
writing and reading abilities.
Other learning disabilities associated with dysgraphia include dyslexia (trouble
reading), and oral and written language (OWL) learning disability. OWL
symptoms include trouble placing words in the right order in a sentence and
difficulty remembering words.
How is Dysgraphia Diagnosed?
 Diagnosing dysgraphia often requires a team of experts, including a physician
and a licensed psychologist or other mental health professional trained in
working with people who have learning disabilities.
 An occupational therapist, school psychologist, or a special education teacher
may also help make the diagnosis.
 For children, part of the diagnostic process may include an IQ test and an
assessment of their academic work. Specific school assignments may also be
examined.
 For adults, examples of written work or written tests administered by a doctor
may be evaluated. You will be observed as you write to look for fine motor
skills problems. You may be asked to copy words from one source to another
to help understand if there are language-processing problems.
What Treatments are Available?
Occupational therapy may be helpful in improving handwriting skills. Therapeutic
activities may include:
 holding a pencil or pen in a new way to make writing easier
 working with modeling clay
 tracing letters in shaving cream on a desk
 drawing lines within mazes
  doing connect-the-dots puzzles
There are also several writing programs that can help children and adults form
letters and sentences neatly on paper.

Is Dysgraphia a Form of Dyslexia?

Dyslexia and dysgraphia are two distinct neurological conditions, though they’re
easy to confuse because they share symptoms and often occur together.

Dyslexia is a learning difference that makes it harder for people to learn to read. If
you have dyslexia, you may read more slowly or have trouble recognizing words.
Often, people with dyslexia read at a lower level than expected. People with
dyslexia may struggle to break words into sounds or relate letters to sounds when
reading.

Dysgraphia involves difficulty with the act of writing. Difficulties can range from
issues with physically writing words to issues with organizing and expressing
thoughts in written form.

References:

https://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/handwriting

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23294-dysgraphia

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dysgraphia

https://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/handwriting