Dysgraphia affects writing ability due to fine motor skill issues, often discovered in childhood. Symptoms include poor spelling, illegible handwriting, and difficulty with punctuation. Accommodations, such as extra time or computer use, can help. Dysgraphia can be a symptom of other conditions, and it’s important to understand and educate children with learning disabilities.
Dysgraphia is a learning disability that primarily affects the ability to write by hand. It is often discovered in early childhood during the first reading and writing lessons. People with dysgraphia often suffer from a lack of fine motor skills and may find other motor-related tasks difficult as well. In some adult cases, the condition is the result of traumatic head injuries.
Some of the major signs of dysgraphia include confusing uppercase and lowercase letters, spacing too much or too closely between letters and words, and writing letters backwards or confusing similar-looking letters like “b” and “d.” People with this condition may have excellent verbal and reading skills, but cannot put words to paper without serious concentration.
Children and adults with the condition typically show very poor spelling and sometimes don’t understand punctuation. Their handwriting usually ranges from poor to illegible and often gets worse if they are in a hurry or don’t concentrate carefully on their writing. Dysgraphia can be extremely frustrating to deal with, as motor problems are rarely related to intelligence or understanding.
There are several methods of dealing with dysgraphia, both in and out of the classroom. While people with this condition should continually exercise their skills to help improve legibility, some allowances should be made for this disability. If you are a teacher with a dysgraphic student, consider giving him extra time to complete written assignments or allow him to dictate responses. Some people with this condition are able to write much better than they can write by hand, so you may want to allow students to use a computer for time-limited writing assignments or essays.
Dysgraphia can be a symptom of other conditions, and children who show signs should be monitored for other problems. According to some experts, the condition could be an indicator of attention deficit disorder (ADD) or disabilities associated with hyperactivity. While people with dysgraphics typically have trouble putting letters or words into sequence, they may also have a broader concentration problem. If a child is exhibiting symptoms consistent with ADD in addition to dysgraphia issues, you may want to see a doctor or therapist.
As science understands more about the human brain, it becomes clear that learning occurs in a variety of ways that are unique to each individual. The unfortunate problem with mass education is that students must conform to a particular learning tactic to be successful in school. It is important to understand and educate children to know that a person is not “stupid” or “retarded” if they have learning disabilities. They may be just as capable of intelligence and understanding as any other person; but they have to find their own way of communicating their thoughts.
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