Dysgraphia

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Learning Solutions

Writing / Dysgraphia

Learning Solutions

Dysgraphia is a label used to describe someone who has (fancy word for)
extreme difficulty with expressing thoughts in written form and the act of
writing. Many people with Dyslexia may also be affected by Dysgraphia.
Dysgraphia is considered a type of Dyslexia and is a learning disability in written
expression.

Unusual pencil grip
Shakes hand out often while writing
Writing is slow and exhaustive
When writing letters student begins and ends at unusual points
Changes in how a letter is written on the same paper
Letter reversals or flipping
Spelling difficulty
Trouble writing on the line
Spacing between letters and words is inconsistent
Trouble learning cursive
Confuses similar letters
Difficulty remembers capitals or lower cases
Difficulty copying off the board or from a book
Trouble with remembering how a letter is written
Misspells when copying words
Head on desk while writing, watching pencil tip
Trouble with sequencing thoughts

Educational Therapy
Educational Consulting
Diagnostic Tutoring

Someone with Dysgraphia may not be able to recognize some or all of the
written alphabet letters, write letters or words, or understand the relationship
between sounds, words and written letters. Someone with Dysgraphia will have
an extremely difficult time writing regardless of the writing method used.

Each person has their own unique combination of challenges with writing, but some of the issues may
include letter reversals or flips, spelling difficulty, odd pencil grip, motor memory issues (remembering
how the letter is written), muscle coordination issues, illegible writing, language processing
difficulties, short term memory challenges, organizational difficulties, and problems using words to
describe ideas. It is believed that Dysgraphia may be caused by an impairment of the ability to
combine and coordinate language processing, visual perception, and motor areas of the brain.

The act of writing is one of the most difficult skills to learn. Students must learn what each capital
and lower case letter looks like, learn how to write each symbol with good spacing and size on a line,
and attach sounds to each one. Then children are taught how to string the letters into words, the
words into sentences, and sentences into paragraphs. Included in this is the ability to decide what to

A person with Dysgraphia may have difficulty with writing yet be considered above average or gifted
in other areas. Because of this, they can be seen as not really trying when it comes to writing. The
act of composing language and then writing it down can be very exhausting for a Dysgraphic
individual. Keyboarding or speech recognition may be an accommodation that will relieve the stress of
having to write letters and words by hand, but many Dysgraphics will still have a great deal of
difficulty getting ideas down on paper or the computer screen. Dysgraphic individuals who have
wonderful imaginations cannot get their ideas down on paper or a computer screen because the
whole process is so slow and difficult that it stunts their creativity.

Signs & Symptoms of Dysgraphia

Learning to write is a complicated process, and while most children will improve
with practice, a student with Dysgraphia may have very limited gains.

write about, details to include, and a sequence to follow. Students
have to hold pictures and thoughts in their mind while they write
the sequence of words, all the while using spelling, grammar and
punctuation rules.

Program, activity, and symptom descriptions are for educational/informational purposes only. Any recommendations
given are not to be considered diagnosis, medical, or psychological prescriptions. Every parent needs to assume the
responsibility for their own child and make their own decisions as to the techniques and methodologies that will
best fit their child's needs.