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Dealing with Dysgraphia: 7 Steps to Help Your Child Overcome Writing Challenges

While writing comes naturally to some kids, it’s actually a complex operation. The child must pick up their pencil or place their hands correctly on their keyboard. They engage fine motor skills to grip and control their writing tool, or move their fingers from key to key. They must use hand-eye coordination to form letters with appropriate spacing, sequence letters to form words, all-the-while translating thoughts into sentences, processing language, and remembering grammar and punctuation rules. 

With so many brain operations working together, a disruption in any one of these tasks can impair a student’s ability to write – a condition commonly known as dysgraphia. With written or typed assignments being required in nearly every subject, it’s critical that kids with dysgraphia receive appropriate support. 

Could your child be struggling with dysgraphia? If so, taking these 7 steps can help them succeed:

1. Understand the symptoms

Dysgraphia describes challenges with “transcription” such as handwriting, typing, and spelling. Children with dysgraphia struggle with any or all of the following:

  • Awkward pencil grip and difficulty controlling writing tools

  • Trouble forming letters and writing within lines

  • Spelling well on tests but not within sentences

  • Difficulty typing 

  • Struggling with similarly shaped letters like “p & q” or “b & d”

  • Poor spatial planning and irregular letter sizes

  • Slow writing speed and fatigue after writing 

  • Mixing printed and cursive handwriting

  • Poor sentence organization and grammar

  • Misuse of capitalization and punctuation

  • Omitting words or leaving them incomplete 

  • Writing the bare minimum, despite being able to verbally express elaborate ideas

2. Determine contributing factors

While dysgraphia can occur on its own, other conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, visual or auditory processing disorders, Tourette Syndrome, ADHD ,and dyslexia can cause writing impairments. Effectively supporting your child starts with receiving an accurate diagnosis. An evaluation from a Diagnostician can help you determine how to best support them.

3. Work with their school

While dysgraphia is not specifically covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), impairments in written expression are. If a specialist diagnosis your child with a written expression disorder, they may qualify for an educational plan such as an IEP or 504 Plan to gain accommodations in school. These accommodations can help level the playing field by reducing obstacles that dysgraphia presents. Accommodations may include: 

  • Assistive technology (AT) – AT can be as low-tech as a pencil grip or slant board to as high tech as specialized computers or dictation software

  • Alternatives to handwritten assignments (i.e., - video or tape-recorded answers)

  • Special paper with highlighted lines, raised lines, or wide ruling

4. Explore therapy options 

In addition to school supports, there are several therapies that have been shown to improve students’ writing. Dysgraphia is often caused by motor skill deficits, which can be treated through occupation therapy. A speech and language therapist can help with your child’s grammar and sentence sequencing. An optometrist can identify if any visual processing disorders are contributing to their challenges and provide vision therapy.  

Diagnostic Testing is the first step to choosing the right type of therapy for your child.

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5. Boost writing skills at home

You can strengthen your child’s writing skills with the following strategies:

  • Have them complete mazes to practice writing within lines

  • Strengthen their hand muscles by playing with clay

  • Create “connect-the-dots” in letter shapes for them to practice forming letters

  • Have them create letters with manipulatives such as slime or hair gel – feeling the resistance will reinforce each letter’s form

  • Provide wide-ruled paper with bold lines

  • Trace rule lines with glue – once it dries, your kid will have “speedbumps” that remind them to keep their letters within the lines

  • Decorate a popsicle stick and have your child use it as spacing tool to measure appropriate spacing between words

6. Ensure their strengths aren’t overlooked 

It’s important for parents and educators to understand that dysgraphia doesn’t impact a child’s intelligence. Many kids with dysgraphia have no problem coming up with bright ideas or expressing themselves verbally - they just struggle with putting those ideas on paper. Unfortunately, kids with dysgraphia are often mistaken for being lazy or incapable and are placed in classes beneath their intellectual potential. This can cause them to be under stimulated and develop negative feelings about school.

Do you disagree with your school on the appropriate services and placement for your child or teen? Click here to learn how an IEE can secure your student’s appropriate education options.

7. Seek an objective opinion 

Your kid may have had writing challenges up to this point, but their future is still unwritten! Our Diagnosticians can provide diagnostic testing to assess for dysgraphia and guide you through the next steps to unlocking your child’s potential.

So you know you need help, but aren’t sure how to find the right help?  

Our Diagnosticians can provide psychological testing to remove the guess-work and guide you on your best path toward mental wellness.

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The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the highlighted topic. For a full consultation, and personalized assessment plan, schedule an appointment with one of our specialists.

More about Variations Psychology

Variations Psychology is a group practice specializing in diagnostic testing to identify psychological conditions.

Our comprehensive evaluations test for conditions that impact mental health and development such as ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, depression, anxiety, learning disorders, and developmental delays. 

In addition to diagnostic services, we offer Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs) of K-12 students to assess needs for accommodations in school. IEEs provide an objective second opinion on existing IEP and 504 Plans.

For K-12 and post-secondary students, we offer evaluations to assess needs for accommodations on standardized tests, college entrance exams (e.g. - SAT, ACT, AP Exams), and graduate and professional licensing exams (e.g. - MCAT, LSAT, GRE, CBEST, NCLEX, GMAT, CA Cosmetology Exam, CA Contractors State Licensing Exam, CA Bar Exam).

Variations Psychology is located in Newport Beach, CA and provides psychological testing to residents throughout Orange County and its surrounding areas including Newport Beach, Newport Coast, Irvine, Shady Canyon, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Coto de Caza, Corona del Mar, Costa Mesa, Yorba Linda, Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo, Mission Viejo, Pelican Hill, Crystal Cove, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, Lake Forest, Huntington Beach, Sunset Beach, Seal Beach, and more.

References:

Dysgraphia. (n.d.) Learning Disabilities Association of America. Retrieved from https://ldaamerica.org/types-of-learning-disabilities/dysgraphia/

Dysgraphia Information Page (n.d.) The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Retrieved from https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Dysgraphia-Information-Page

Dysgraphia: Problems with Writing (n.d.) Synapse. Retrieved from http://www.autism-help.org/comorbid-dysgraphia-autism.htm

Dysgraphia: What You Need to Know (n.d.). Understood. Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/dysgraphia/understanding-dysgraphia 

Eckerd, M. (n.d.) Dysgraphia: An Overview. Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities. Retrieved from https://www.smartkidswithld.org/first-steps/what-are-learning-disabilities/dysgraphia-an-overview/

Hamman, J. (2018). Creating a Dysgraphia-Friendly Classroom. The George Lucas Educational Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/article/creating-dysgraphia-friendly-classroom?gclid=CjwKCAjwk93rBRBLEiwAcMapUWF6kIMeTgbbiPqQJ-PEi2rgmBgUEc4gwx38GmVskePHMY_Ga5y80hoCYVQQAvD_BwE

Kelly, Kate. (n.d.) 8 Tools for Kids with Dysgraphia. Understood. Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/dysgraphia/8-tools-for-kids-with-dysgraphia#slide-1

Morin, A. (n.d.) 6 Uses of Multi-Sensory Techniques for Teaching Handwriting. Understood. Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/partnering-with-childs-school/instructional-strategies/6-multisensory-techniques-for-teaching-handwriting

Shinn. M.M. (2018). 7 Strategies for Fostering a Growth Mindset in Your Child. Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/7-strategies-for-fostering-a-growth-mindset-in-your-child

Shinn. M.M. (2018). ADHD or Just Kids Being Kids? Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/adhd-or-just-kids-being-kids

Shinn. M.M. (2019). Could My Teen Have Autism? Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/could-my-teen-have-autism 

Shinn. M.M. (2018). Does My Child Need Accommodations for the SAT/ACT? Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/does-my-child-need-accommodations-for-the-sat-act

Shinn. M.M. (2018). I Can’t Spell Dyslexia – Do I Have It? Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/i-cant-spell-dyslexia-do-i-have-it

The Space Kid. (n.d.) Understood. Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/~/media/c7c210ae460448b68813276acc41e823.pdf

Understanding Dysgraphia (n.d.) The International Dyslexia Association. Retrieved from  https://dyslexiaida.org/understanding-dysgraphia/

How to Cite This Blog Article:

Shinn. M.M. (2022). Dealing with Dysgraphia: 7 Steps to Help Your Child Overcome Writing Challenges. Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/7-steps-to-help-your-child-overcome-writing-challenges