Dysgraphia in HS Students

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In most cases several brain systems are involved in dysgraphia. “Some experts believe that dysgraphia involves a dysfunction in the interaction between the two main brain systems that allow a person to translate mental into written language (sound to symbol, as well as mental word to written word). Other studies have shown that split attention, memory load, and familiarity of graphic material affect writing ability.” [IDA Fact Sheet]

Breakdowns in graphomotor skills can occur at several levels. The first is with the guidance system that leads to written output. To produce letters and/or words, we must be able to both accurately and quickly recall from visual memory information regarding what the letters or words look like. Additionally, we must be able to recall from memory the correct motor pattern for writing letters and words.

Children who have breakdowns in the graphomotor guidance system often prefer to print rather than to write in cursive because the printed alphabet consists of only 26 separate motor and visual patterns, whereas, when words are written in cursive, the number of motor and visual patters are seemingly endless. Further, they may retrace letters and write illegibly.

A second problem that can occur with graphomotor skills is dyspraxia. Dyspraxia is trouble assigning various muscles or muscle groups to their specific role in the writing task. To effectively hold a pencil or pen and write with it, our fingers must wrap around the instrument and move in a coordinated manner to produce legible written output. The thumb and middle finger are responsible for the mobility of the writing utensil. The index finger is responsible for the stability of the writing instrument. When the muscles in the thumb and fingers do not work together in a coordinated fashion, there are problems with both the mobility and stabilization of the pencil and/or pen.

Children with dyspraxia often have inefficient pencil grasps, or they may frequently change their pencil grip from one that is normal to one that is not. They may have trouble alternating between use of the pencil point and use of the eraser. In fact, this problem may be so severe that when the child needs to use the eraser, he/she actually has to drop the pencil and pick it up at the end where the eraser is, because he/she is unable to coordinate the muscles in the fingers well enough to turn the pencil in the hand. Additionally, they may write slowly. Their written output is often illegible, and handwriting for them is a labor-intensive task.

A third breakdown that can occur in the graphomotor system is finger agnosia. With finger agnosia, the brain does not receive enough information regarding the placement of the fingers in space. For most of us, there is little difference between our signature written with our eyes open or with our eyes closed. This is because the motor units in the fingers inform our brains about where the fingers are in space.

When the motor units in the fingers do not perform this task adequately, the child may closely visually monitor the fingers when writing to know where they are in space, thus, holding their heads very closely to the paper. Frequently, the child may lock up the fingers by using a "fist-like" pencil grip. When they use this grip, there is more movement in the hand and lower arm where they motor units are larger and provide the brain with adequate feedback about where the hand is in space. Further, they may press very hard with the pencil/pen when writing, and often break pencil leads.

Reference:
Deuel, Ruthmary K., M.D. Developmental Dysgraphia and Motor Skills Disorders. Journal of Child Neurology, Vol. 10, Supp.1. January 1995, pp. S6-S8.

Richards, Regina. The Writing Dilemma: Understanding Dysgraphia. Riverside, CA: RET Center Press, www.retctrpress.com, rev. 1999.

Rosenblum, S., Weiss, P., Parush, S. Handwriting Evaluation for Developmental Dysgraphia: Process vs. Product. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, v17 n5 p.433-458, July 2004