Julian Ajuriaguerra, a neuropsychiatrist, was the first to give a definition of dysgraphia:<\/p>\n
“A child is considered dysgraphic when the quality of their handwriting is <\/em>deficient, while generally no neurological or intellectual deficit explains this <\/em>deficiency.”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Dysgraphia is diagnosed from age 7 \/ end of CE1, once handwriting has been fully learnt. Dysgraphia is one of the DYS disorders, alongside dyslexia<\/a>, dyspraxia<\/a>, dysorthographia<\/a>, dyscalculia<\/a> and dysphasia<\/a>, with which it is sometimes associated. It can also be a symptom of intellectual giftedness<\/a> or of ADHD<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Please note: it is estimated that 10% of children are dysgraphic, and that 60% of school time is spent on written tasks.<\/p>\n
Dysgraphia can have several origins and can be more or less severe. It can stem from a poor pencil grip, poor posture or poor positioning of the paper, insufficiently developed fine motor skills, hand dominance that has not yet been established, a difficult family and\/or school context, and so on. This writing disorder can create self-consciousness and affect schooling, self-esteem and self-confidence, so it is important to take these difficulties seriously and treat them. There is no age limit for seeking help to resolve writing difficulties.<\/p>\n
There are different types of dysgraphia; here are their main characteristics:<\/h3>\n
\n
- Clumsy dysgraphia<\/strong>: handwriting that tends to be reworked, heavy, and untidy.<\/li>\n
- Stiff dysgraphia<\/strong>: handwriting that tends to be angular, with the child appearing tense.<\/li>\n
- Slack dysgraphia<\/strong>: handwriting that tends to lack structure and be small.<\/li>\n
- Slow and precise dysgraphia<\/strong>: the handwriting is legible but requires a great deal of effort.<\/li>\n
- Impulsive dysgraphia<\/strong>: handwriting that is fast, imprecise and illegible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
There are two recognised origins of dysgraphia:<\/h3>\n
\n
- Reactive dysgraphia<\/strong>: handwriting is a means of communication, a trace we leave behind. It can therefore reflect distress, a refusal to communicate, opposition, a defence mechanism\u2026 These reactive difficulties then show up in a physical, instrumental way.<\/li>\n
- Instrumental dysgraphia<\/strong>: this stems from instrumental difficulties, which can come from a hand-dominance issue, a poorly established body schema, a tone disorder (cramping, low muscle tone\u2026), insufficiently developed fine motor skills, poor hand-eye coordination, or spatio-temporal difficulties\u2026<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
How can you spot a child with writing difficulties?<\/h3>\n
\n
- They cannot settle on a dominant hand (this choice should normally be made around age 7).<\/li>\n
- They struggle to write on the line.<\/li>\n
- Their exercise books are messy (crossings-out, corrections\u2026).<\/li>\n
- They struggle to manage letter proportions.<\/li>\n
- They write too big or too small.<\/li>\n
- They say they don’t like writing.<\/li>\n
- They don’t hold their pencil correctly.<\/li>\n
- They don’t respect the direction letters should be drawn in.<\/li>\n
- They mix up different scripts (print, cursive and block letters).<\/li>\n
- They struggle to join letters together.<\/li>\n
- They struggle to handle two tasks at once.<\/li>\n
- Their handwriting is illegible.<\/li>\n
- They block when it comes to writing.<\/li>\n
- They are struggling at school because of their handwriting.<\/li>\n
- They cannot finish written classwork in time.<\/li>\n
- They are left-handed and struggle to find a comfortable position.<\/li>\n
- They have difficulty concentrating.<\/li>\n
- They write in mirror writing.<\/li>\n
- Writing is painful for them (cramps, shoulder, wrist, or finger pain\u2026)<\/li>\n
- They have difficulty copying the shape of letters, particularly in the context of visuo-spatial difficulties.<\/li>\n
- They are anxious and lack confidence when writing.<\/li>\n
- They struggle to control their writing speed (too slow or excessively fast).<\/li>\n
- The teenager who cannot learn their coursework because their notes are incomplete and illegible.<\/li>\n
- The teenager who, on their own initiative, wants advice on improving their handwriting.<\/li>\n
- \u2026<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
These difficulties need to be addressed as early as possible, as they are a source of distress.<\/p>\n
Please note: for gifted children, the transition to handwriting is often difficult. They suffer from a gap between the quickness of their mind and the speed of their hand movements: remedial support proves useful. What are the goals of handwriting remediation?<\/p>\n
The goals can be varied:<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n
- Prevent possible school failure linked to writing difficulties.<\/li>\n
- Strengthen handwriting learning skills.<\/li>\n
- Improve the handwriting movement (body posture and pen grip).<\/li>\n
- Learn to manage emotions rather than being overwhelmed by them.<\/li>\n
- Allow handwriting to become free and effectively personalised.<\/li>\n
- Improve handwriting so it becomes easy, legible and fast.<\/li>\n
- Rebuild self-confidence.<\/li>\n
- Discover or rediscover the pleasure of writing.<\/li>\n
- Regain ease and fluency.<\/li>\n
- Improve finger and hand strength.<\/li>\n
- Achieve handwriting that is consistent, precise and well-proportioned.<\/li>\n
- \u2026<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Whatever our age, handwriting remains essential, as it is a tool for communication. In children and teenagers, however, it remains mainly linked to schoolwork.<\/p>\n
What about adults?<\/strong><\/p>\n
We tend to think “children” when talking about handwriting remediation, but adults can also encounter writing difficulties and feel the need for support.<\/p>\n
For example, if:<\/p>\n
\n
- They don’t like their handwriting.<\/li>\n
- They feel discomfort after a handwriting task.<\/li>\n
- They don’t dare leave a handwritten note for fear of being judged.<\/li>\n
- Colleagues and family complain they cannot read their handwriting.<\/li>\n
- Writing a handwritten letter is an ordeal.<\/li>\n
- They want to “make peace” with handwriting.<\/li>\n
- Their handwriting has changed following an accident, an illness, or psychological trauma.<\/li>\n
- \u2026<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
To try to put yourself in the shoes of someone with dysgraphia or handwriting difficulties, try writing with your non-dominant hand. You’ll find it’s not easy, that you’re less comfortable, slower, less precise, and that it requires much more concentration\u2026 That is what someone with dysgraphia experiences.<\/p>\n
Elise HARWAL, Graphotherapist<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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