Understanding Dysgraphia

See also: Writing Skills

Dysgraphia, like dyslexia and dyscalculia, is one of a family of conditions known as specific learning difficulties. Like them, it is a neurological disorder, and affects the ability to process information. Dysgraphia affects the ability to write. It affects both the actual physical act of handwriting, and also the coherence of the writing.

The global prevalence of dysgraphia is not known. This is partly because of a lack of research, but also because it is quite hard to diagnose. It is, effectively, diagnosed only by an age-inappropriate inability to form letters or write by hand. It may also be associated with other fine motor skill problems, such as trouble tying shoelaces or fastening buttons. However, only the writing problems are diagnostic. This page explains more about this lesser-known condition.

What is Dysgraphia?

In terms of symptoms, people with dysgraphia struggle to write clearly. They often cannot correctly form letters or write words. They may struggle with spelling, and often show incorrect spacing between letters and words. Their writing may include a mixture of upper- and lower-case letters, and of cursive and printed letters. People with dysgraphia often seem to have difficulty thinking and writing at the same time, which really slows down their ability to perform writing tasks.

Dysgraphia is thought to be associated both with the ability to coordinate the movements required to write by hand, and with the ability to translate sounds into writing. It is certainly not solely an issue of coordination, because that would be dyspraxia. However, people with dysgraphia often use a very cramped grip on a pen or pencil, which can lead to sore hands. They seem to have a specific difficulty with coordinating the sequential finger movements needed to form letters.

Dysgraphia is also not solely the processing of language, because that is more akin to dyslexia. However, both dyspraxia and dyslexia (along with other neurological and developmental conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD) often co-occur with dysgraphia. Indeed, the combination of dyslexia and dysgraphia is so common that dysgraphia was not formally identified as a separate condition until the mid-twentieth century.

More recent research suggests that the underlying issue with dysgraphia may be associated with orthographic coding in working memory.

Orthographic coding is the ability to store written words in the working memory while analysing the letters in the word. It also includes the ability to create a permanent memory of written words that is linked to their meaning and how they are pronounced.

Types of Dysgraphia

Researchers believe that there are three distinct types of dysgraphia, which are associated with different neurological issues. These are:

  1. Motor dysgraphia, which is related to fine motor skills and visual perception. People with this form of dysgraphia tend to write very slowly, and also struggle with drawing or tracing. They also have very slow finger-tapping speed, which is a measure of fine motor skills.

  2. Spatial dysgraphia, which seems to be related to spatial perception. People with spatial dysgraphia find it hard to space letters. Drawing is also a challenge. However, finger-tapping speed and spelling are usually normal.

  3. Linguistic dysgraphia, which seems to be related to the language processing skills required for writing. People with this form of dysgraphia usually find it hardest to write text spontaneously (that is, not copying or tracing), and this type of text is often illegible. However, they are able to draw and copy effectively, and their spelling is normal.

Dysgraphia vs agraphia


Dysgraphia is distinguished from a related condition, agraphia, by its origin.

  • Dysgraphia is a condition that is present from birth, although it will not start to manifest until the child is expected to learn to write.
  • Agraphia is an acquired inability to write (for example, as a result of a brain injury or stroke). It is sometimes called acquired dysgraphia.

Supporting Children with Dysgraphia

It should be clear that dysgraphia is a condition that will seriously affect children’s schooling.

Children are generally expected to handwrite most of their schoolwork, particularly at primary school, but also at secondary school. Children with dysgraphia will find it much harder to learn to write, and their writing will be less coherent and readable. They will be much slower in their writing, and so may need extra time to complete work such as copying something down. They will need extra time in exams, and often require the use of aids such as computers.

However, there are tools and techniques that can be used to help children with dysgraphia in the classroom and beyond.

Broadly in order of the age at which they could be introduced, these include:

  • Using wide ruled paper to help children to align words and letters;

  • Using pencil grips and specific handwriting pencils that are designed to help children who have trouble with handwriting;

  • Encouraging children to do hand mobility exercises using a stress ball or playing with clay or plasticine;

  • Getting children to ‘join the dots’ to learn to form letters correctly;

  • Exercises to develop fine motor skills, such as drawing lines through mazes;

  • Tracing letter shapes with the finger, or with the opposite end of a pencil;

  • Automatic letter writing exercises, using cards showing numbered arrows around letters, to show how the letter is formed in writing. Exercises should gradually build up, through copying the letter, then drawing it in the head, then writing the letter from memory after a short delay, which should increase over time. The final stage is to write the letter from dictation. This process should be built up over weeks or months.

  • Teaching children to touch-type and allowing them to use laptops or computers to complete written work (they will also need this for exams and tests, which may need to be cleared with examination bodies);

  • Using voice-to-text software and other writing aids to facilitate writing tasks;

  • Allowing extra time for any written assignments or tests;

  • Reducing the amount of written work required, for example by providing printed copies of notes; and

  • Allowing alternative forms of submission, such as video blogs or recordings, rather than written work.



Dysgraphia and Self-Confidence

Like both dyslexia and dyscalculia, having dysgraphia can significantly affect self-confidence.

Before a diagnosis, all children see is that they can’t do something that their peers seem to be managing with ease. Even afterwards, they often still perceive that there is something ‘wrong’ with them. This can have a huge effect on self-confidence.

It is therefore very important that teachers and parents take time to build up the self-confidence of children with specific learning difficulties. One of the most important approaches is to praise effort not attainment. It is also helpful not to expect children with specific learning difficulties to do exactly the same amount of work as everyone else. Instead, you should recognise that they will work more slowly, and set a minimum that everyone should complete, with ‘extra’ for those who can.


In Conclusion

Like any other specific learning difficulty, dysgraphia can significantly affect learning ability, and how a child presents in a classroom. However, also like others in this family of conditions, there are good tools and techniques available to help support children with this condition.

The key is to catch the condition quickly, and then to provide support before children have become very frustrated and alienated from school.


TOP