Understanding Dysgraphia: Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment Options

Dr.Harsh Bhardwaj, 3 mins read

Dysgraphia is a neurological condition that refers to having difficulty with the mechanics of writing. This learning disability can affect both children and adults. Despite adequate education and instruction, an affected individual can have difficulty with various aspects of the writing process, including legibility, word spacing, spelling, expression and sizing.

The condition seems to have a genetic link, as it often runs in families. However, scientists are not sure what exactly causes developmental dysgraphia. As per a study, around 5-20% of children have some type of writing problem like dysgraphia. However, this estimate can also be large, as many times it goes undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. This problem is common among children with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

How to identify this problem?
Dysgraphia can have many different symptoms at various ages. It is also seen that affected individuals may speak more fluently than they write. They can have issues like:

• Difficulty with spelling
• Trouble deciding letter sizing and spacing
• Tight or painful grip on a pencil or pen
• Problem maintaining letter formation or following lines and margins
• Issues with sentence structure
• Difficulty following composition and grammar rules when writing but not when speaking
• Problems with the rate or speed of writing
• Trouble recalling how words are formed
• Issues with writing in reverse

Some other writing difficulties can also present in an affected individual. If your child is having one of these symptoms, it doesn't mean that they have dysgraphia. However, if your child is having problems with basic writing skills that are appropriate for their age, you should seek the help of a doctor.

Diagnosis
Diagnosis of dysgraphia involves careful consideration of the individuals following aspects:

• Educational history
• Learning strengths and weaknesses (learning differences)
• Various writing difficulties and the extent of the problem
• The impact of the problem on academic and professional life

As dysgraphia involves many skills and brain functions like motor skills, spatial perception, working memory, language processing, conceptualisation and organisation, diagnosing it many times becomes difficult but not impossible.

Management and treatment
The management plan for dysgraphia is highly individualised. Though there are no medications available to treat it, interventions, accommodations and special writing sessions can help manage the condition.

Several accommodation fixes at school or office can also benefit:

• Use large pencils/pens with better grips or any other better writing instrument
• Use pages having raised and highlighted lines to help with the margins
• Take more time to write
• Adopt electronic assistive devices like voice-to-text applications
• Take handwriting sessions
• Talk to a doctor at Aakash Healthcare for a personalised treatment regimen.