Dysgraphia

Dysgraphia – The disconnect from thoughts to paper.

It is not uncommon to come across someone who says they hate writing. It is a task that requires us to be self motivating, creative, have clarity of thought, and then there is the spelling, grammar and punctuation to consider. But when is a dislike for writing more than just that? Ever heard someone say they know what they want to say but they just cant get their thoughts onto paper. What about reading someone’s work and their spelling is all wrong. Or the quality of their handwriting is still developing. It could be that this person has Dysgraphia.

What is Dysgraphia? Dysgraphia is a disorder which is neurological (brain) in origin which impacts a persons ability to write fluently, express their thoughts in writing, spelling, punctuation, grammar, letter formation and sentence structure. Impaired handwriting can interfere with learning to spell words in writing and speed of writing text. People with dysgraphia may have only impaired handwriting, only impaired spelling (without reading problems), or both impaired handwriting and impaired spelling. Dysgraphia is also known as a specific learning disorder in written expression (DSM-5). Researchers estimate that 5% to 20% of people have dysgraphia. The estimated range is large because dysgraphia often goes undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.

What are the signs of Dysgraphia? People with Dysgraphia may have several difficulties or just a few. But many find it easier to speak then they do to write. Some signs may be:

Letter formation and/or legibility
Letter size and spacing
Spelling
Fine motor coordination
Rate or speed of writing
Grammar
Composition
Awkward pencil grip
Difficulties expressing themselves in writing

How is Dysgraphia Diagnosed? Just like its relatives Dyslexia and Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia is diagnosed by a psychologist. The psychologist will examine the learning strengths and weaknesses of the person being assessed. Often an occupational therapist may also be involved in the process to rule out any difficulties with fine motor or strength that could also be impacting on the writing ability of the person. Before a diagnosis of a specific learning disorder in spelling and written expression (or dysgraphia) is able to be made, it is essential that the child or adult being assessed has received at least six months of intervention focused on improving their spelling and written expression.

While Dysgraphia can be a stand alone diagnosis it is not uncommon for people to receive a duel diagnosis such as attention-deficit disorder (ADHD)–inattentive, hyperactive, or combined type. It is estimated that 20–60% of individuals affected with ADHD also present with learning disorders (Czamara et al., 2013).