Dysgraphia in Children

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Answer

Children with dysgraphia have difficulty with writing, spelling, and grammar. It is a learning disability where the writing skills fall substantially below the student's IQ. You know the student knows these letters and words, but they can not reproduce them on paper. For a student with dysgraphia, their handwriting may look different depending on the day. For example, they may mix capital and lower case letters together haphazardly, they use printing and cursive interchangeably, the letters are slanted and shaped differently, there is no consistency. In addition, these students have trouble holding a writing utensil. They hold the pencil all different kinds of ways, because they have difficulty with stress, and they want to control everything. Sometimes you see a tight grip. It is also a motor planning issue.

There are a few different types of dysgraphia, including:

• Dyslexic dysgraphia: With this disorder, spontaneously written text is illegible, especially when the text is complex. Oral spelling is poor, but drawing and copying of written text are relatively normal. Finger-tapping speed (a measure of fine-motor speed) is normal.
• Motor dysgraphia: With this disorder, both spontaneously written and copied text may be illegible, oral spelling is normal, and drawing is usually problematic. Finger-tapping speed is abnormal.
• Spatial dysgraphia: Individuals with this disorder display illegible writing, whether spontaneously produced or copied. Oral spelling is normal. Finger-tapping speed is normal, but drawing is very problematic.

OTs have an important role to play with the performance components of handwriting, including:

• Postural control and other neuro-musculoskeletal components in the pelvis, trunk, shoulder, and neck
• Level of arousal, attention span, sequencing and other cognitive components; visual perception
• Perception of touch, body position and movement
• Motor planning and motor control
• Hand preference and integration of the two sides of the body
• Visual-motor integration
• Basic function of the hand including wrist stability, arch formation and finger dexterity

As OTs, we have a special role to play in helping children with handwriting. We are not handwriting experts; however, we are frequently viewed as such. Some specific components of handwriting that we work on with learning disabled students include:

1. Postural control and other neuro-musculoskeletal components in the pelvis, trunk, shoulder, and neck
2. Level of arousal, attention span, sequencing and other cognitive components
3. Visual perception
4. Perception of touch, body position and movement
5. Motor planning and motor control
6. Hand preference and integration of the two sides of the body
7. Visual-motor integration
8. Basic function of the hand including wrist stability, arch formation and finger dexterity
9. Remedial and preventive interventions include:
   1. collaborating with others to modify students’ seating
   2. designing or procuring assistive technology devices
   3. training teachers, students and families to use them