Dysgraphia: How to Recognize Signs of Dysgraphia in Your Child

How to recognize dysgraphia

• Difficulty with written expression typically caused by a disconnection in the brain.
• The brain has trouble retrieving information from memory about how to organize thoughts for writing.
• Manifests itself when a child has trouble with writing, spelling, poor handwriting and organizing thoughts on paper.
• Working memory also plays a role and can prevent the child from knowing how to write a letter or a word on paper.
• Writing difficulty with visual-spatial information, fine motor, language processing, grammar usage and organization of written language.
• The writing process is much harder and slower.
• Does not manifest the learning potential of the child or what they intended to write.

• It is not dyslexia. Dyslexia often affects a child’s reading, while dysgraphia affects a child’s writing. However, a child may have trouble in both areas.
• A child with dysgraphia doesn’t always have dyslexia too.
• A child with messy handwriting does not necessarily have dysgraphia.
• Kids with dysgraphia do not always have a primary motor development disorder, which could also cause poor handwriting.
• Children with dysgraphia of low-levels of intelligence.
• Kids with dysgraphia are lazy and sloppy with their work.

Signs and symptoms to watch for

• Messy handwriting
• Can’t get thoughts down on paper
• Tight, awkward pencil grip and body position.
• Attention and focus issues in the classroom.
• Has difficulty with shape-discrimination and letter spacing.
• Trouble organizing words from left to right.
• Can’t stay within the margins.
• Unable to use scissors or hold a pencil correctly.
• Trouble with fine motor tasks, such as tying shoes, fastening buttons, picking up objects, etc.
• Can’t follow directions or the rules in games.
• Often spells words incorrectly and mixes upper and lowercase letters.
• Avoids writing.
• Doesn’t write in complete sentences.
• Has trouble telling stories.
• Leaves out important facts and details of a story.

• Reading issue
• Not related to sounding out words, reading comprehension and memorizing facts and details.
• Is not a speech or language problem.
• Does not always affect how the child interprets and identifies sounds of letters and words.
• Purposeful laziness and sloppiness.

Is intervention available?

• Use paper with raised lines so the child can write within the lines.
• Try different pens and pencils that are more comfortable.
• Work with a professional, Occupational Therapist or Pediatric Therapist.
• Incorporate more fine motor activities to strengthen the hands, wrists, fingers and elbows for writing.
• Practice writing numbers and letters in the air to improve working memory.
• Incorporate exercises using shapes, long pencil strokes and cursive for rewiring the brain as you see here.
• Complete the process for an IEP that gives your child special accommodations and modifications in the classroom.
• Do warm-up exercises at home with the hands and fingers before completing a writing assignment.
• Provide tape recorders in the classroom in case the child performs better with verbal instructions.

• “Medication will solve this problem” is a common misconception. While this may be needed for attention and focus, it does not improve the writing process.
• “Not a fine motor problem.” Many parents and teachers don’t realize the importance of fine motor development for kids with dysgraphia.
• “Not a retained primitive reflex” misconception. A child with dysgraphia may have a retained palmar reflex, as seen here, that can cause delays in writing. This issue must be fixed before the child can show improvements in writing.
• My child will grow out of it. Another common misconception. A child may always struggle with this issue into adulthood and will need intervention to help.