Signs of Writing Difficulties/ Dysgraphia (literacy based)

Dysgraphia is a learning disorder. Just having poor handwriting is not sufficient for a specific learning disorder diagnosis. Dysgraphia is a learning disability that interferes with all writing processes, including letter/word spacing, letter sizing, as well as expression of ideas in written form.

Signs may include:

• Illegible or very poor handwriting.
• Poor/awkward pencil grip.
• Writing gradually in from the margin on each line, further into the page.
• Difficulty putting thoughts onto paper.
• Can verbally tell a story or explain something but can find it difficult to write the information down.
• Slow to write required amount/task; may run out of class allocated time to write.
• May avoid writing altogether.
• Tire quickly when writing.
• Poor grammar, punctuation, syntax, sentence structure, spelling.

Are all students with a writing learning difficulty considered to have a specific learning difficulty in writing, known as dysgraphia?

• No! Other areas of difficulty such as physical dysgraphia can impact upon a child’s ability to complete writing tasks.
• Physical dysgraphia may include weak muscle tone, reduced fine motor skills.
• An estimated 5-20 percent of all children have some type writing deficit like dysgraphia (https://www.additudemag.com).

What is dysgraphia?

• Dysgraphia as described by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual – Fifth Edition (DSM-V), used by psychiatrists and psychologists to diagnose disorders, as ‘an impairment in written expression in spelling accuracy, grammar, punctuation and clarity of written expression’ (DSM-V 315.2 F81.81).

What to do if my child seems to be struggling in writing?

It is important to remember that your child may simply have not yet learnt the concepts and needs some additional support to bring them up to peer level in writing. So,

1. Firstly, discuss your concerns with your child’s classroom teacher who will understand your child’s writing abilities in the educational setting.
2. Discuss intervention strategies e.g. 1:1 or small group learning support for writing.
3. Engage a literacy tutor who can revisit the basic skills and move your child through the process of developing better handwriting as well as an increased understanding of writing concepts.
4. Have an Occupational Therapy assessment to investigate areas of slower physical development that may be impacting on writing skills.
5. Seek a comprehensive assessment with a psychologist (called a psycho-educational assessment) to investigate areas of cognitive abilities and academic skills that may be impacting on your child’s understanding of writing, and provide a diagnosis (if deemed relevant) for dysgraphia. A psychologist will then provide a written report with the results, interpretation of the results, and (usually) learning strategies to support your child in writing skills development.