Dysgraphia
Definition:
Dysgraphia, or difficulty with writing, is defined in the DSM-IV as a disorder in written expression with “writing skills (that) ...are substantially below those expected given the person’s ...age, measured intelligence, and age-appropriate education”. (http://www.handwriting-solutions.com/dysgraphia.asp)
Dysgraphia, or difficulty with writing, is defined in the DSM-IV as a disorder in written expression with “writing skills (that) ...are substantially below those expected given the person’s ...age, measured intelligence, and age-appropriate education”. (http://www.handwriting-solutions.com/dysgraphia.asp)
dys (difficulty) + graphia (writing)
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The Five Types of Dysgraphia
(Handwriting Problem Solutions-Dysgraphia, 2015)
There are five types of dysgraphia, but it is not uncommon for an individual to be affected by more than one type.
Dyslexic Dysgraphia
Students with Dyslexic Dysgraphia spontaneously have illegible writing, but their copied work is legible. Students with Dyslexic Dysgraphia have poor spelling skills. Normal finger tapping speed is common, and the individual may not have Dyslexia, but they sometimes occur at the same time. |
Motor Dysgraphia
Motor Dysgraphia occurs due to poor fine motor skills, dexterity, low muscle tone, or unspecified clumsiness. Written work is often poor to illegible, both when copied or original. Letter formation can be done well through extreme effort and long time. Poor grip on writing instrument results in slanted writing, but spelling is not impaired. Finger tapping speeds are below average. |
Spatial Dysgraphia
Spatial Dysgraphia occurs because the student does not understand spacing. The writing is sometimes illegible, both copied and original, but finger tapping and spelling is normal and unimpaired. Students with Spacial Dysgraphia struggle to keep writing on lines and spacing between words. |
Phonological Dysgraphia
Phonological Dysgraphia is poor writing and spelling when encountering unfamiliar and irregular words. Phonemes are not able to be memorized, which makes decoding through blending difficult for students with Phonological Dysgraphia. |
Lexical Dysgraphia
Characteristics of Lexical Dysgraphia include normal spelling ability when sound to letter patterns are present with misspellings of irregular words. This is most common in English and French, because the languages are less phonetic in comparison to other languages. This form of dysgraphia is rare. |
Facts and Statistics:
There are not many studies about dysgraphia, so the prevalence of this learning disability is unknown. According to BOOK, prevalence of dysgraphia is estimated at 5-20% of all students having some type of writing deficit (Reynolds, 2007). In the Pediatric News journal of April 2008, it was stated that the "prevalence of dysgraphia is unknown, but is likely under identified." Another study done in 2011 discussed the variance of prevalence rates in the Elementary school ranging from 5-33%. It stated that writing disorders decreased as the age of the student increased. It was estimated that in the beginning of second grade, 37% of students had a form of dysgraphia which decreased to 17% at the end of the year. This further decreased as the students progressed to third grade and on (Overveide, 2011). Characteristics:
Signs and Symptoms:
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Diagnosis:
Dysgraphia is best diagnosed by a Neuropsychologist, but can be identified through observations of professionals, such as Occupational Therapists and School Psychologists. It's not important to diagnose between the five types of dysgraphia to create accommodations and modifications. It is common for students to have a combination of the five types of dysgraphia (Handwriting Problem Solutions-Dysgraphia, 2015). Causes:
Ronald D. Davis's book, The Gift of Learning In his book about Learning Disabilities, The Gift of Learning (2003), Ronald D. Davis states that there are seven causes of handwriting problems with dysgraphia:
Some individuals with dysgraphia struggle with fine-motor coordination, but others have physical tremors that create the writing deficit. Most often, though, multiple things coordinate to form dysgraphia. Many experts believe that dysgraphia "involves a dysfunction in the interaction between two main brain systems that allows a person to translate metal into written language," meaning that the students struggle with sound to symbol memory (Deuel, 2011). |
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Adaptations
Accommodations:
1. Allow students more time for note-taking and tests. 2. Allow students to express thoughts and ideas through alternative methods, such as word processing or dictation. 3. Give the student an outline with the main ideas to fill in details rather than having them try to keep up with full note taking. 4. Allow the use of a computer for drafts so the essay does not need to be rewritten for edits. 5. Allow student to write in cursive OR manuscript (cursive is sometimes easier for individuals with dysgraphia). 6. Provide students with the tools they need to be successful, such as paper with raised lines, graph paper for math to line up the columns, and fun grips or larger pencils. |
Modifications:
1. Remove "neatness" or "spelling" as grading criteria on written assignments. 2. Allow students to use abbreviations in writing notes and rough drafts. 3. Reduce length requirements on written assignments, emphasizing quality over quantity. 4. Adapt written assignments so that students work in groups, with a 'brainstormer', 'writer', and 'proofreader.' |
Situations:
1. Jessica is a second grader with dysgraphia. She has difficulty during math because she does not have the fine motor coordination to keep the numbers aligned by place value. The adaptation I would make to accommodate Jessica's needs is to provide her with a worksheet printed with the addition problems lined up correctly.
2. Martin, a third grader with Spacial Dysgraphia, often writes without using spacing. To adapt to Martin's needs, I would provide him with a 'space man', a Popsicle stick with a photo of an astronaut at the end, which Martin can use between his words to make sure he leaves enough space between words.
1. Jessica is a second grader with dysgraphia. She has difficulty during math because she does not have the fine motor coordination to keep the numbers aligned by place value. The adaptation I would make to accommodate Jessica's needs is to provide her with a worksheet printed with the addition problems lined up correctly.
2. Martin, a third grader with Spacial Dysgraphia, often writes without using spacing. To adapt to Martin's needs, I would provide him with a 'space man', a Popsicle stick with a photo of an astronaut at the end, which Martin can use between his words to make sure he leaves enough space between words.
Simulation:
The following questions provide a simulation so students can understand their peers that are identified as having dysgraphia, or difficulty writing. Dysgraphia can lead to difficulty with math computations because the numbers in the various place values do not line up correctly. The second prompt asks the students the write about an important event with their non-dominant hand. This allows students to understand how the difficulty in writing makes it hard to express thoughts, and then asks the students to reflect on the experience.
Link to simulation: http://pediatricneurology.com/adhd2.htm
The following questions provide a simulation so students can understand their peers that are identified as having dysgraphia, or difficulty writing. Dysgraphia can lead to difficulty with math computations because the numbers in the various place values do not line up correctly. The second prompt asks the students the write about an important event with their non-dominant hand. This allows students to understand how the difficulty in writing makes it hard to express thoughts, and then asks the students to reflect on the experience.
Link to simulation: http://pediatricneurology.com/adhd2.htm
Resources:
Web and Print Resources
This link provides strategies for dealing with dysgraphia. It would be beneficial for parents, older students, and teachers to familiarize themselves with the information presented on this webpage. http://www.ldonline.org/article/5890/ The following link is a Parent's Resource Guide to Learning Disabilities. http://know-the-ada.com/t3/guide-learning-disablities.html SnapType iPad App- Allows students with dysgraphia to type instead of write notes https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/snaptype-for-occupational/id866842989?mt=8 National Center for Learning Disabilities. http://www.ncld.org/ |
Organizations
The link below leads to a community support group on the ADDConnect page, and can be filtered by posts for parents of children with dysgraphia, students with dysgraphia, and adults with dysgraphia. http://connect.additudemag.com/groups/topic/My_battle_with_dysgraphia/ The organization Learning Disabilities Association of America provides support and resources to students and individuals with any type of learning disability, including dysgraphia. |
Children's Books
Eli, The Boy Who Hated to Write, 2nd edition by Regina Richards This story provides both students and parents of children with dysgraphia a unique insight into the mind of Eli, the boy who hated to write. I Am Just Me: My Life With Dyslexia and Dysgraphia by Sky Burke This book was co-written by a 12-year-old with dysgraphia and describes overcoming her disability. Different is Not Bad, Different is the World: A Book About Disabilities By: Sally L. Smith A book for teen about various learning disabilities that can help all students with empathy and understanding. |
Resources:
Data Display: Minnesota. (2011, January 1). Retrieved March 16, 2015, from http://www2.ed.gov/fund/data/report/idea/partbspap/2013/mn-acc-stateprofile-11- 12.pdf
Davis, R., & Braun, E. (2003). The gift of learning: Proven new methods for correcting ADD, math & handwriting problems. New York: Berkley Pub. Group
Deuel, R. (2011). Dysgraphia: The Handwriting Learning Disability. Retrieved March 15, 2015, from http://www.ldao.ca/introduction-to-ldsadhd/ldsadhs-in- depth/articles/about-lds/dysgraphia-the-handwriting-learning-disability/
Dysgraphia. (2015). Retrieved March 15, 2015, from http://ldaamerica.org/types-of-learning-disabilities/dysgraphia
Handwriting Problem Solutions - Dysgraphia. (2015). Retrieved March 15, 2015, from http://www.handwriting-solutions.com/dysgraphia.asp
Kemp, G. (2015, February 1). Learning Disabilities and Disorders. Retrieved March 15, 2015, from http://www.helpguide.org/articles/learning- disabilities/learning-disabilities-and-disorders.htm
Kutscher, M. (2006). Simulations. Retrieved March 15, 2015, from http://pediatricneurology.com/adhd2.htm
Learning Disabilities: The Pediatrician's Role. (2008, April 1). Retrieved March 15, 2015, from https://www.kennedykrieger.org/sites/kki2.com/files/4-08.pdf
New to LD. (2015). Retrieved March 16, 2015, from http://ldaamerica.org/support/new-to-ld
Overvelde, A., & Hulstijn, W. (2011). Handwriting Development In Grade 2 And Grade 3 Primary School Children With Normal, At Risk, Or Dysgraphic Characteristics.Research in Developmental Disabilities, 540-548.
Pierangelo, R. (2010, July 20). Prevalence of Learning Disabilities. Retrieved March 15, 2015, from http://www.education.com/reference/article/prevalence- learning-disabilities/
Reynolds, C. (2007). Encyclopedia of special education: A reference for the education of children, adolescents, and adults with disabilities and other exceptional individuals.(3rd ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Specific Learning Disabilities. (2015). Retrieved March 10, 2015, from http://www.asha.org/advocacy/federal/idea/04-law-specific-ld/
by Melanie Adam
Data Display: Minnesota. (2011, January 1). Retrieved March 16, 2015, from http://www2.ed.gov/fund/data/report/idea/partbspap/2013/mn-acc-stateprofile-11- 12.pdf
Davis, R., & Braun, E. (2003). The gift of learning: Proven new methods for correcting ADD, math & handwriting problems. New York: Berkley Pub. Group
Deuel, R. (2011). Dysgraphia: The Handwriting Learning Disability. Retrieved March 15, 2015, from http://www.ldao.ca/introduction-to-ldsadhd/ldsadhs-in- depth/articles/about-lds/dysgraphia-the-handwriting-learning-disability/
Dysgraphia. (2015). Retrieved March 15, 2015, from http://ldaamerica.org/types-of-learning-disabilities/dysgraphia
Handwriting Problem Solutions - Dysgraphia. (2015). Retrieved March 15, 2015, from http://www.handwriting-solutions.com/dysgraphia.asp
Kemp, G. (2015, February 1). Learning Disabilities and Disorders. Retrieved March 15, 2015, from http://www.helpguide.org/articles/learning- disabilities/learning-disabilities-and-disorders.htm
Kutscher, M. (2006). Simulations. Retrieved March 15, 2015, from http://pediatricneurology.com/adhd2.htm
Learning Disabilities: The Pediatrician's Role. (2008, April 1). Retrieved March 15, 2015, from https://www.kennedykrieger.org/sites/kki2.com/files/4-08.pdf
New to LD. (2015). Retrieved March 16, 2015, from http://ldaamerica.org/support/new-to-ld
Overvelde, A., & Hulstijn, W. (2011). Handwriting Development In Grade 2 And Grade 3 Primary School Children With Normal, At Risk, Or Dysgraphic Characteristics.Research in Developmental Disabilities, 540-548.
Pierangelo, R. (2010, July 20). Prevalence of Learning Disabilities. Retrieved March 15, 2015, from http://www.education.com/reference/article/prevalence- learning-disabilities/
Reynolds, C. (2007). Encyclopedia of special education: A reference for the education of children, adolescents, and adults with disabilities and other exceptional individuals.(3rd ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Specific Learning Disabilities. (2015). Retrieved March 10, 2015, from http://www.asha.org/advocacy/federal/idea/04-law-specific-ld/
by Melanie Adam