What Is Dysgraphia?

Do you ever sit down to write something but feel like your hand and brain are just not communicating with one another? If you have dysgraphia, you might feel like your mind and hand are on two different wavelengths. It's not just messy handwriting or struggling to form letters (although those are key symptoms, too). It's also about struggling to create coherent text, having problems with grammar, and difficulty with spelling.

Dysgraphia, also known as a disorder of written expression, is a type of learning disorder. It can make it hard for the person to write as well as other people of their age and education level. It is a neurological condition that can affect a person’s ability to write letters and numerals.

Writing is a complex task that involves many parts of the brain. Dysgraphia tends to be a catch-all phrase for any issues related to writing. However, someone with dysgraphia may struggle with several tasks and skills, including penmanship, spelling, grammar, punctuation, paragraph composition, reading, and math.

Types of Dysgraphia

These are the two types of dysgraphia:

Developmental Dysgraphia

This form of dysgraphia affects children and is often identified when children start learning how to write in school. Dysgraphia can affect the child’s ability to learn, despite exposure to adequate education and instruction.

Acquired Dysgraphia

This form of dysgraphia affects people who have experienced some form of neurological damage. As a result, they may start to have difficulty with writing, even if they are educated adults and were once able to write with ease.

Symptoms of Dysgraphia

Someone with dysgraphia may face difficulty with the following tasks:

• Letter formation
• Letter sizing 
• Letter spacing
• Spelling
• Grammar
• Composition
• Writing speed
• Handwriting legibility
• Fine motor skills and coordination

What Does Dysphraphia Look Like?

Children and adults with dysgraphia struggle to write by hand. They often have a hard time forming letters, spacing them appropriately, writing neatly, word choice, grammar, and other elements of writing.

As a result, the person may exhibit the following symptoms:

• Slow writing speed
• Trouble holding and maneuvering a writing implement
• Inability to write in a straight line
• Tendency to write words in reverse
• Difficulty recalling how letters are formed
• Incorrect use of upper and lower case letters 
• Incorrect use of verbs and pronouns
• Difficulty writing sentences with correct grammar and punctuation
• Tendency to reorder or omit words from sentences 
  

What Causes Dysgraphia?

Dysgraphia doesn't have a single, clear cause. For some people, it's caused by how their brain process information, which can be influenced by genetic factors. For others, brain injuries or developmental issues can play a role.

The causes of dysgraphia can vary depending on the type of condition:

• Developmental dysgraphia: Developmental dysgraphia is often genetic and tends to run in families. A child may, therefore, be more likely to have it if a biological relative has it.
• Acquired dysgraphia: In this type of dysgraphia, acquired skills are lost due to damage to the parietal lobe of the brain, which could occur due to a brain injury, a neurological condition, or a degenerative condition.

Diagnosing Dysgraphia

The mental health diagnostic manual, known as the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition" (DSM-5-TR), lists dysgraphia under the specific learning disorder category. Still, it doesn’t define it as a separate health condition with its own set of symptoms, which can make it difficult to diagnose.

While there aren’t any medical tests that can help diagnose dysgraphia, the diagnostic process involves other tests and assessments, such as:

• Handwriting assessment: Formalized handwriting tests can help assess the legibility and speed of the person’s handwriting.
• VMI test: The Beery Developmental Test of Visuomotor Integration (VMI) can help assess the person’s ability to integrate their visual and motor skills.
• Educational assessment: Healthcare providers collaborate with educational specialists to determine the person’s educational history, their learning strengths and weaknesses, and the extent of their writing difficulties.
  

Managing Dysgraphia

While there aren't any medications or procedures that can treat dysgraphia, developmental dysgraphia can be managed with educational interventions that can vary depending on the extent of impairment the child faces:

Accommodation

Accommodations help make tasks easier and help kids better learn what is being taught. The child participates in mainstream education with assistive or supportive resources but without changing the content of the curriculum. This might include letting someone type rather than handwriting, using speech-to-text tools, or providing extra time to do written assignments.

Modification

The child's curriculum and learning goals are modified according to their abilities. They are also provided special services by the school. For instance, they may be allowed to answer their tests orally instead of in writing. Other examples might include reducing the amount of writing that is required or adjusting expectations while still keeping the tasks meaningful.

Remediation

Remediation involves specific strategies to gradually improve a person's writing skills and abilities over time. The child’s school offers specific interventions to help them cope with the severity of their dysgraphia. This might involve occupational therapy to improve fine motor skills and writing programs that can increase fluency and writing confidence.

Takeaways

Dysgraphia is a learning disability that can be difficult to live with. If you or a loved one have dysgraphia, you may notice that in addition to making writing difficult, it can also be deeply frustrating and demotivating. It may be helpful to see a mental healthcare provider to cope with the distressing effects of the condition and improve self-confidence.