One of the most common learning disabilities that most people have never heard of is dysgraphia. According to the DSM-IV, its main symptom is “writing skills (id). The very word dysgraphia means “difficulty” writing, that is, dysgraphia in a nutshell – difficulty in writing. Many people have a message or incompetence or even illegible writing, but when the message remains, Although there is plenty of practice and effort, dysgraphia is very likely to be the culprit.
How can I tell if my child has Dysgraphia?
Symptoms of dysgraphia may include poorly defined and formed letters; the child’s handwriting worsens with practice and effort, poor grip on the brush, complaints of pain while writing, inversion of the letter in the long past tense appropriate to this (mostly by the age of 7), there is a strong aversion to writing, and of course; illegible or messy hands.
Individuals with dysgraphia are also likely to have dyslexia. Because of this, it has long been believed by the medical community that dysgraphia is also caused by aspects of the visual processing system that make the dyslexic brain poorly see letters. Recent findings, however, tend to support the idea that dysgraphia results from delays in following – the brain has a difficult time organizing all the different movements it needs to send to the muscles in the hand to write the details.
This idea is supported by the fact that individuals with dysgraphia often have other fine motor skills delays that may cause problems. shoes also help because dysgraphic persons can often only write well when they slow down a bit.
This is a catch-22, of course; Your child’s efforts to draw big thoughts on paper will be severely mocked by the frustration of having to slow down the pace of the snail. This frustration is often further exacerbated by the fact that, no matter how hard the child tries, his efforts to produce legible handwriting are judged by either the parent or the teacher as careless and inept.
What to do next if the child is suspected to be dysgraphic?
If your child fits these criteria and you suspect he has dysgraphia, the child should be evaluated by a certified clinician as soon as possible. The diagnosis will be made not only according to the child’s written example, but also the process of writing – the grip of the pencil, the posture, the speed of writing, whether the child talks to him or not while writing. and many other subtleties. The therapist may also test your child on a variety of other fine motor tasks. In addition, some experts recommend that the child be evaluated for visual processing delays that may contribute to poor handwriting and dysgraphia.
The prognosis for dysgraphia depends on the quality and quantity of treatment, but almost all individuals learn to cope with their change in varying degrees. Treatment strategies are varied. Muscle training and occupational therapy help with any fine motor delays. Dysgraphia is definitely a case where practice makes perfect – the literal training should be practice diligently every day until the child’s hand improves. to the office of the developer. Learning to type in a word processor is an invaluable skill for many dysgraphics; learning to write in cursive – which is much less confusing than handwriting due to fewer questions to follow and the fact that it requires continuous strokes for a million strokes – can also be beneficial for a dysgraphic child.
Dysgraphia is a learning disability and should be treated as such. A child should never feel that their handwriting is poor because of laziness or lack of effort – on the contrary, dysgraphic children put much more effort into their work than non-dysgraphic children only forced by necessity. Patience and adaptation to the child’s difficulties are required. At school, special concessions and arrangements must be made with the school and the child’s teacher – this is every legal right of the child.
Accommodations in the classroom
Within the classroom or learning environment, there are many steps an educator can take to accommodate the needs of a dysgraphic learner. The child would be allowed to turn in traditional paper instead of handwritten notes. The school or parent can coordinate ongoing occupational activity to strengthen coordination and motor muscle tone. The educator may allow the child to re-record all lessons on tape instead of taking notes, or, if note-taking is required, the child may use a copy of another student’s notes.
The educator should reduce the number of written questions for the dysgraphic child, with the rest being done verbally. Struggling younger writers may draw a lesson in place of some or all of the writing. Since the slow pace of writing is so frustrating and discouraging for dysgraphics, the child can be encouraged to speak his book on tape machines, and then write it at his own pace. Your child’s therapist and/or occupational therapist can give you many, many options to help your dysgraphic child succeed academically.
Be warned: one of the least recognized symptoms of dysgraphia is pain in writing, usually starting in the arm and extending to the hand. The complaint of the boy “But my hand hurts!” not to be ignored or dismissed as an excuse. Pain, while not torture, is very real to the child and is his body’s way of signaling that he needs a break. These may be to be admitted in the ordinary educational grounds for the dysgraphic child.
Most people with dysgraphia can never have a beautiful hand, but they can certainly improve. The child should make an effort to raise their hands despite some degree of frustration. Typing in word processing may be easier, but writing is a necessary life skill. With awareness, support and a lot of knowledge, any dysgraphic child can be helped to learn this skill to their strengths.
