Understanding and Supporting Dysgraphia

There is something delicious about writing the first words of a story. You never quite know where they’ll take you.”
― Beatrix Potter

The other day, while having lunch with friends, the topic turned to how to improve one’s writing. I mentioned the word dysgraphia, not surprisingly, some people at the table had not heard that term before, and they are not alone!

Understanding dysgraphia

If we use the etymology of dysgraphia (the history of the word as well as it’s language of origin), we find that it comes from the Greek words dys meaning “impaired” and graphía meaning “writing by hand” we can see that describes an avoidance when it comes to writing. Dysgraphia can also be a neurological disorder and learning disability that affects the ability to write with coherence. 

Signs of dysgraphia

1. Mixing print and cursive letters within a word or sentence.
2. Struggling to stay on a line or within margins, as well as inconsistent spacing between letters and words.
3. An awkward or tight pencil grip may cause hand cramps or pain when writing.
4. Unusually slow and labored writing, even when the child is trying to write neatly.
5. Closely watching the hand while writing or saying words aloud as they write. 

Difficulty with written expression

1. Frequent spelling errors, even with common words, and inconsistent spelling of the same word within the same writing example.
2. Struggling to organize thoughts and translate them into written form, despite being able to express ideas well verbally.
3. Omitting words or incomplete sentences.
4. Incorrect grammar and punctuation. 

Avoidance and fatigue

1.  A strong dislike for writing or drawing tasks.
2. Becoming tired quickly during writing assignments. 

Sometimes dysgraphia can overlap with other learning disabilities and neurodevelopmental disorders such as speech impairment, dyslexia, and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Early intervention and identification of dysgraphia is important to offer tailored supports.

Neuropsychological assessments are also extremely helpful in getting the specific identifying areas that need support for your child, as well as frequent check-ins with your child’s teaching team to get a clear picture if they are avoidant about writing as well.

To get a neuropsychological evaluation for your child, contact us or your pediatrician for a referral. You can also contact your insurance company for a list of in-network providers or utilize resources like the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry to find a neuropsychologist. In some cases, the school may be able to fund an evaluation, so start by talking with your child’s teacher and working with the school’s support team. They can help!

Supporting dysgraphia

We tend to emphasize the actual writing result. I think that a conversation about pre-writing is important, especially for younger children and particularly preschool and elementary-aged children. I have found that there is a myriad of fine-motor activities that help prepare children for writing, which can be easily created at home

1. Water pouring or transfer, using a variety of funnels and pouring spouts for an additional challenge. Holding a bowl or cup full of water to another takes precision; it helps build the muscles that are needed for the precision of holding a pencil.
2. Muscle control and development for proper pencil grip, with precision tools such as eyedroppers and small tongs using a variety of materials of different sizes and weights to create a transfer activity, like moving cotton balls with tongs from one bowl to another or mixing colors with an eye dropper. These use the same muscles that are used for writing and do not create negative associations.
3. Adaptive tools: Using a pencil grip, thicker pencils, or weighted pens can make holding the writing utensil more comfortable and easier to control.
4. Posture adjustments: Teaching a child the correct body and hand positioning while writing can reduce discomfort and improve endurance.
5. Collaborate with occupational therapists for tailored strategies. (All ages)
6. Multisensory techniques: Tracing letters in sand or on a textured surface engages multiple senses, which helps to internalize the letters

For older-aged children:

7. Dictation helps students physically put words on a page, and then the correction of spelling and punctuation helps develop the ability to revise their work.
8. Practicing composition creation can help them turn those words into meaningful text. 
9. Provide access to typing tools and word processors with spell check.
10. Use graphic organizers to help structure writing tasks.
11. Implement assistive technology like speech-to-text software.
12. Encourage the use of note-taking apps.

In closing, most of us find writing challenging; perhaps it is because we understand that what we write will ultimately have an audience, after all, it is a form of communication. Before we write, we must have something to say! Each child is an individual, and dysgraphia can look different for each child. I encourage parents to listen to ask their children their opinions and their ideas, inviting them to express themselves with words, which is a form of pre-writing. When we truly value what children say, they may feel more inspired to write their ideas down.

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” – Maya Angelou

Written by Vanessa Fontana-Berul, MA in Education