Written by NCLD Editorial Team

Research by: Maria Bernardita B. Danganan

Dysgraphia is a learning disability that affects writing, which requires a complex set of motor and information processing skills. Dysgraphia makes the act of writing difficult. It can lead to problems with spelling,poor handwritingand putting thoughts on paper. People with dysgraphia can have trouble organizing letters, numbers and words on a line or page. This can result partly from:

• Visual-spatial difficulties: trouble processing what the eye sees
• Language processing difficulty: trouble processing and making sense of what the ear hears
• Tight, awkward pencil grip and body position
• Avoiding writing or drawing tasks
• Trouble forming letter shapes
• Inconsistent spacing between letters or words
• Poor understanding of uppercase and lowercase letters
• Inability to write or draw in a line or within margins
• Tiring quickly while writing
• Illegible handwriting
• Mixture of cursive and print writing
• Saying words out loud while writing
• Concentrating so hard on writing that comprehension of what’s written is missed
• Trouble thinking of words to write
• Omitting or not finishing words in sentences
• Trouble organizing thoughts on paper
• Trouble keeping track of thoughts already written down
• Difficulty with syntax structure and grammar
• Large gap between written ideas and understanding demonstrated through speech

As with alllearning disabilities (LD), dysgraphia is a lifelong challenge, although how it manifests may change over time. A student with this disorder can benefit from specific accommodations in the learning environment. Extra practice learning the skills required to be an accomplished writer can also help.

What Are the Warning Signs of Dysgraphia?

Just having bad handwriting doesn’t mean a person has dysgraphia. Since dysgraphia is a processing disorder, difficulties can change throughout a lifetime. However since writing is a developmental process—children learn the motor skills needed to write, while learning the thinking skills needed to communicate on paper—difficulties can also overlap.

Dysgraphia: Warning Signs By Age

 

By: Maria Bernardita B. Danganan | SPED Teacher | AG Llamas Elementary School | Mariveles, Bataan