Dysgraphia

I.          What is it?

Dys     = impairment

Graph = Greek for handwriting/letter formation

ia         = having a condition

DEFINED

Having a condition or impairment the affects handwriting and letter formation, or impairments that affect how people acquire written language. Dysgraphia affects written language in terms of letter formation, handwriting, and perhaps even spelling.

II.        Causes

Research indicates that Dysgraphia is a deficit in the Orthographic processor of the brain.

Brain research has come into the limelight here lately with data that reveals the brain containing several processors that need to work in tandem for reading and writing to occur.

The Orthographic processor is the coding center of the brain that makes sense of letters, symbols, and words. The brain stores unfamiliar words and information about print in the working memory of the brain as it constructing meaning .  How quickly a person can access this affects fluency and comprehension. Children whose processor is not working correctly, struggle to form the symbols correctly. These children may also have trouble planning coordinating finger movements in terms of how to hold the pencil correctly and where to place letters on a piece of paper.

III.      Signs

*             illegible handwriting

*             Poor letter spacing

*             Positioning on the page with regard to lines and margins

*             Inconsistent print/cursive

*             Strange wrist, body or paper position

*             Talking to self while writing and closely watching hand while writing

*             Slow labored copying or writing even if legible

*             Content that does not match the child’s other language skills

IV.       Accompanying disabilities

*             Dyslexia

*             ADHD

V.        Strategies for the Reluctant Writer

* Encourage creativity!

* Think of ways to engage and inspire your students who struggle with writing!

* VISUALIZE! – letter, phrase, concept, or story

* VERBALIZE!  – allow students to verbally share their thoughts as a precursor to writing them down

* DRAW! How many of our students LOVE to draw and doodle? Capitalize on it! Allow students to get the juices flowing through creating, drawing, cartooning, doodling…Allow this to replace brainstorming as a springboard into great writing!

* COMPOSE! – Open the door to writing lyrics, poems, or short themes to build excitement and sustained engagement for writing

Other reminders:

-Write for a purpose

-Persuasive writing

-Creativity with the computer or tech device

VI. Accommodations

*  rate of producing written work

* volume of the work to be produced

* complexity of the writing task

* tools used to produce the written product

* format of the product.

 

1. Change the demands of writing rate:

* Allow more time for written tasks including note-taking, copying, and tests

* Allow students to begin projects or assignments early

2. Adjust the volume:

* Instead of having the student write a complete set of notes, provide a partially completed outline so the student can fill in the details under major headings (or provide the details and have the student provide the headings).

* Allow the student to dictate some assignments or tests (or parts of tests) a ‘scribe’. Train the ‘scribe’ to write what the student says verbatim (“I’m going to be your secretary”) and then allow the student to make changes,