Dysgraphia is a learning disorder that affects handwriting and its formation. It results in writing that is slow or illegible, requiring significant effort from the child. Assessment and diagnosis rely on a tool developed by neuropsychiatrist Julian de Ajuriaguerra: the E scale, based on 30 childhood graphic characteristics linked to the child’s stage of graphomotor development. Here’s a look at today’s reference tool for graphotherapists.

Neuropsychiatrist Ajuriaguerra’s 5 types of dysgraphia

Born on 7 January 1911 in Bilbao, Julian de Ajuriaguerra studied medicine in Paris—specialising in psychiatry. After meeting psychoanalyst Rene Diatkine, he focused on psychomotor and language disorders.

His growing interest in child development led him to classify dysgraphia into 5 distinct groups:

  • The “floppy” child, with small, rounded, imprecise, irregular strokes, wavy writing lines, and untidy pages;
  • The “impulsive” child, with movements lacking control, fast, jerky writing;
  • The “clumsy” child, with poorly proportioned letters, poor-quality strokes, frequent corrections and joins;
  • The “rigid” child, with regular but angular strokes, strong pressure that tears the paper, and tense writing;
  • The “slow and precise” child, with an overly slow writing pace but neat strokes.

 

The E scale, the reference tool for assessment and diagnosis

In 1964, Julian de Ajuriaguerra, together with Helene de Gobineau, developed a Child scale (E scale) to help specialists diagnose dysgraphia in children aged 6 to 12. This tool brings together thirty criteria—characteristics of shape and motor control established according to the child’s stage of graphomotor development.

For example, among the shape items on the E scale are:

  • Lack of movement: cursive writing is not fluid;
  • Large writing—when at least half the letters exceed 3.5 mm in the middle zone;
  • The school-style crossbar on the letter T, placed in the upper third of the letter;
  • Join points: difficulty linking two letters.

Among the E scale items for motor characteristics are:

  • Trembling;
  • Broken lines, involving a sudden change of direction;
  • Fluctuating, wavy lines;
  • Letters that have been retouched for no spelling-related reason;
  • Overall untidiness.

For each item, the graphotherapist gives a score between 0 and 1, based on how often it appears in the child’s writing. The resulting score, weighted by a coefficient defined by Julian de Ajuriaguerra, is enough to diagnose whether or not the child has dysgraphia.

 

If you suspect your child may have dysgraphia, get in touch with a graphotherapist on the Ora-Visio platform, to get a diagnosis as quickly as possible. While dysgraphia cannot be cured, a professional can help your child find coping strategies, allowing them to learn to live with this condition.