Understanding Dysgraphia
Dysgraphia is a relatively unknown learning difference that does not get as many headlines at ADHD and dyslexia. However, many students, especially those with ADHD and/or dyslexia suffer from dysgraphia and may not even know they have it. It is important to understand exactly what dysgraphia is and how it affects students in the classroom.
The use of term “dysgraphia” is often very confusing. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM-V), which is the most widely used manual for assigning learning differences, does not even contain that specific word. Instead, the DSM-V describes this particular diagnosis as a “Specific Learning Disorder, with impairment in written expression.”
In order to obtain a diagnosis, a student must demonstrate an unexpected deficiency in writing and meet 4 basic criteria, including:
Symptoms for at least 6 months
Significant interference with academic performance
Begin during school-aged years
Are not accounted for by other disorders
What is Dysgraphia?
The term “dysgraphia” is essentially a short-hand for of the DSM-V diagnosis. Psychologists, and especially learning specialists, will often use the term “dysgraphia” to mean the same thing as the DSM-V diagnosis of Specific Learning Disorder, with impairment in written expression.” Consequently, in order to receive accommodations for dysgraphia, a student will typically have to meet the above 4 criteria.
Dysgraphia manifests itself in many ways. Most assume it means a student has trouble with handwriting or that handwriting is sloppy. However, while messy handwriting can be associated with dysgraphia, it does not by itself qualify as a symptom.
Dysgraphia is diagnosed in three distinct ways:
Spelling accuracy
Grammar and punctuation accuracy
Clarity or organization of written expression
The most common symptom of dysgraphia that I see in students is difficulty in gathering one’s thoughts, organizing them in a clear, coherent fashion, and actually getting those thoughts onto paper. These particular students experience difficulty with “Clarity or organization of written expression.” Furthermore, students with dysgraphia often:
Stare at the computer or paper wondering what to write
Write long run-on sentences with poor punctuation
Jump from one idea to another without any clear transition
Leave out important information in a story
Fail to make a point in their writing
Use poor grammar
For students with dysgraphia, writing is often a slow and painful process that students try to avoid. If you notice that your student struggles with writing or complains about it frequently, you may want to consider having him or her evaluated.
How to “Fix” It?
Students with dysgraphia will often experience difficulty with writing; there simply is no way to make dysgraphia disappear. However, with the right tools and techniques, students can certainly learn to compensate and actually become very effective writers.
Write More!
The most important exercise a student can do to help with his or her writing is to write more. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to brainstorm on a piece of paper. I like to have students select a topic and then write down as many ideas as they can think of about that topic. Once we have a bunch of ideas written on paper, we can then start grouping the ideas according to their commonalities. I like to highlight similar ideas in similar colors. This gives the student a way to see how they relate. Once the student has ideas grouped together, it is much easier to write an organized story or essay.
I also highly encourage students diagnosed with dysgraphia to consider taking academic courses that involve higher-level writing. Advanced Placement (AP), Honors, and IB courses can actually foster students’ writing skills rather than simply sweep them under the rug. However, when considering taking higher-level writing courses, a student with dysgraphia must also be realistic about workload and class expectations. Overloading on writing can also lead to frustration and negative associations with writing.
Use a Writing Tutor
Students with dysgraphia may benefit from working with a writing tutor, particularly when required to write lengthy essays and other academic prompts. However, when considering tutoring, a student with dysgraphia should consider working with a tutor who has experience assisting students diagnosed with dysgraphia. There are specific techniques that can help with the writing process, and an experienced tutor will know quite a few.
Unfortunately, finding such a tutor can be challenging. I highly recommend discussing such services with your student’s school counselor. You may also ask some of your friends. Word of mouth is often the best way to find a great tutor.
Assistive Technology
I also strongly suggest that students who have dysgraphia use computers to do as much of their academic work as possible. This is an accommodation frequently given by schools as part of a 504 plan. The use of a computer can help with neatness as well as grammar, punctuation, and spelling. It would be ideal if a student could learn to write effectively without a computer, but in the grand scheme of things, most writing these days is on a computer anyway.
Other assistive technologies can offer time-saving support. These technologies often include the use of a voice-to-text program that allows the student to dictate his thoughts and ideas while the computer program writes them in real time. If a school does not allow such technology, then the use of a scribe is another accommodation, although it requires quite a bit of man power.
More recently, the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), including programs as the highly-controversial Chat GPT, can offer tremendous amount of writing support. However, they can also easily spill into the plagiarism category. Although schools are scrambling to define their policies on the use of AI, I think it is ok to use it to help brainstorm for ideas. Before using AI, make sure you discuss these policies with your teachers.
Again, the best thing a student with dysgraphia can do is to read and write more, even if it is difficult. Journaling, writing creative stories, writing letters to friends and family, or even just making lists of things to do on the weekend can all help students gain confidence. Reading books, magazines, websites, and any other well-written material will also help shape their brains and reinforce what good writing looks like.
If you suspect your student has exceptional trouble specifically with writing, I strongly suggest you look at having him or her evaluated. The first step to “fixing” the problem is identifying what exactly is going on.