Dysgraphia in HS Students

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DEFINITION:
The DSM IV identifies dysgraphia as a "Disorder of Written Expression" as "writing skills that are substantially below those expected given the person's age, measured intelligence, and age-appropriate education".

WHAT CAUSES DYSGRAPHIA?
The cause of dysgraphia is found within the brain's processing system that is involved in sequencing, in particular the motor movements which should be sequential and very automatic but are not in the student with dysgraphia.

For students with dysgraphia, this is the underlying reason that their papers are messy or that their speed is extremely slow.

It is important that these students be identified appropriately and should definitely not be labeled as lazy, unmotivated, or careless. Students should be helped to understand the nature of their disability and develop resiiency to cope with it. It is important to look beyond the surface and understand what is really going on.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:

May have illegible printing and cursive writing (despite appropriate time and attention given the task)

Shows inconsistencies: mixtures of print and cursive, upper and lower case, or irregular sizes, shapes or slant of letters

Has unfinished words or letters, omitted words

Inconsistent spacing between words and letters

Exhibits strange wrist, body or paper position

Has difficulty pre-visualizing letter formation

Copying or writing is slow or labored

Shows poor spatial planning on paper

Has cramped or unusual grip/may complain of sore hand

Has great difficulty thinking and writing at the same time (taking notes, creative writing.)

May talk to self while writing, or carefully watch the hand that is writing

Written expression does not reflect cognitive understanding

What are the different types of dysgraphia?

1. In dyslexic dysgraphia, spontaneously written text is illegible, especially when the text iscomplex. Oral spelling is poor, but drawing and copying of written text are relatively normal. Finger-tapping speed (a measure of fine-motor speed) is normal.

2. In motor dysgraphia, both spontaneously written and copied text may be illegible, oralspelling is normal, and drawing is usually problematic. Finger-tapping speed is abnormal.

3. In spatial dysgraphia, people display illegible writing, whether spontaneously produced orcopied. Oral spelling is normal. Finger-tapping speed is normal, but drawing is very problematic

How is dysgraphia diagnosed?

Dysgraphia cannot be diagnosed solely by looking at a handwriting sample. The student must be tested which includes writing self-generated sentences and paragraphs and copying age-appropriate text. The examiner assesses not only the finished product, but also the process, including posture, position, pencil grip, fatigue, cramping, or tremor.