What is Dysgraphia?

Dysgraphia can appear as difficulties with spelling  and/or trouble putting thoughts on paper. Dysgraphia is a neurological disorder that generally appears when children are first learning to write. Experts are not sure what causes it, but early treatment can help prevent or reduce problems.

Dysgraphia is characterized by the person having difficulty converting the sounds of language into written form (phonemes into graphemes), or knowing which alternate spelling to use for each sound.

 A person with dysgraphia may write their letters in reverse, have trouble recalling how letters are formed, or when to use lower or upper case letters.

 A person with dysgraphia may also struggle to form written sentences with correct grammar and punctuation, with common problems including omitting words, words ordered incorrectly, incorrect verb and pronoun usage and word ending errors. People with dysgraphia may speak more easily fluently than they write.

How is Dysgraphia Identified?

an assessment for Dysgraphia involves careful consideration of the individual's learning strengths and weaknesses, their educational history, the extent of their spelling and expressive writing difficulties, and what impact targeted remediation and support has had on their current academic achievement levels. 

Educational psychologists use a series of tests to determine if a person has dysgraphia. These tests often include measures of rapid automatized naming, spelling, orthographic processing, expressive writing, working memory and overall cognitive ability. DSF Psychologists are able to assess if a person has dysgraphia, and can provide recommendations for support. 

For those students who are struggling with the writing process due to significant handwriting delays or motor coordination impairments, assessment by an Occupational Therapist experienced in Developmental Coordination Disorder is recommended.

Supporting People with Dysgraphia

There are many ways to help a person with dysgraphia achieve success. Generally strategies fall into three categories:

- Remediation: Providing instruction for improving spellings and writing skills.

- Accommodations: Providing alternatives such as oral assessments and access to assistive technology.

- Modifications: Changing expectations or tasks to minimize avoid the reliance on expressive writing skills.

Each type of strategy should be considered when planning instruction and support. A person with dysgraphia will benefit from help from both specialists and those who are closest to the person.

Some example supports for dysgraphia include:

• Allowing extra time to complete written tasks
• Utilizing assistive technology such as voice to text software to remove the burden of handwriting
• Use of a scribe 
• Providing templates and more scaffolding for written tasks
• Explicit instruction in phonics and spelling
• Reducing the amount of written work that needs to be completed (quality over quantity)
• Allowing alternative assessment practices, such as oral assessments and presentations

DSF Psychologists are able to assess if a person has dysgraphia, and can provide recommendations for support.