Education and Child Matters

I AM L.I.P

I am a Litigant In Person

Dysgraphia

 

Before you read the webpage please read the following notes:

NOTE 1 – We are giving you an overview of this condition in a question and answer format so you have some information for when you talk to a health professional. We have not discussed how to diagnose this condition, the types of treatment available for this condition and how you as the parent can help your child. We will leave that for a professional to discuss with you when a healthcare plan or special educational needs plan is being written for your child once they have been diagnosed. 

NOTE 2 – Children can suffer from more than one condition at any one time. This is known as comorbid

NOTE 3 – The exact cause of many of the conditions we have written about is unknown. Research is continuing. There can often be a genetic component which when inherited can make an individual prone to the condition. There are also other factors which can play a part in the development of the condition and can trigger it. We have detailed these factors in each write up.

NOTE 4 – Education for children with special education needs and disabilities is written elsewhere on this website. Please click the link below to access it. 

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES. 

WHAT IS DYSGRAPHIA?

Dysgraphia is a condition where a child has difficulty with writing. The standard of writing is not up to the level it should be for their age. 

Dysgraphia is a learning disability in written expression. It is more common in boys than girls.

Children with dysgraphia are regarded as children with special educational needs.

WHAT SYMPTOMS DOES A CHILD WITH DYSGRAPHIA DISPLAY?

Children with dysgraphia can suffer from the following symptoms:

  1. They have problems translating thoughts into written language.
  2. They have problems with their physical ability to write
  3. They have issues with letter formation, size, spacing, and legibility.
  4. They have issues with grammar, composition, and spelling.
  5. They have problems with writing fast.
  6. They can have issues with writing in a straight line.
  7. They omit words from sentences
  8. The word order in a sentence is often incorrect.
  9. They have difficulty holding and using a pen or pencil. 
  10. They get uppercase and lowercase letters mixed up.

ARE CHILDREN WHO HAVE DYSGRAPHIA BORN WITH IT OR IS IT ACQUIRED?

Both are true. The true cause of dysgraphia is unknown however, scientists believe that there is a genetic link so it can be inherited. 

Acquired dysgraphia can result from a brain/head trauma, a stroke or a progressive illness. This type of dysgraphia is also known as agraphia. 

WHEN DO MOST CHILDREN FIRST DISPLAY THE SIGNS OF DYSGRAPHIA?

Children as young as 5 years old can start to show the signs of having dysgraphia. 

CAN DYSGRAPHIA GO AWAY, BE CURED OR PREVENTED?

Dysgraphia can be managed and controlled with treatment. It cannot be cured or prevented.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DYSGRAPHIA?

There are 5 different types of dysgraphia. They are:

1. Dyslexic dysgraphia – The writing of a child suffering from this type of dysgraphia is not understandable and there will be lots of spelling errors.

2. Motor dysgraphia – The child who suffers from this type of dysgraphia has problems with fine motor skills, poor muscle tone and motor clumsiness (movement). Writing and drawings are illegible. 

3. Spatial dysgraphia – The child who has this form of dysgraphia has issues with species between letters. They may also be unable to write between the lines on a piece of paper.

4. Phonological dysgraphia – The child who has this form of dysgraphia has spelling and writing issues because they cannot memorise sounds that differentiate one word from another (phonemes). This child will blend these words when they are writing. 

5. Lexical dysgraphia – This child will spell words as they sound and therefore will misspell irregular words. 

HOW DOES A CHILD WITH DYSGRAPHIA FEEL IF THEY HAVE NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED?

A child with dysgraphia who has not been diagnosed will feel:

  1. Stupid
  2. Frustrated 
  3. Anxious
  4. They will have low self esteem.
  5. Withdrawn

A child with dysgraphia who has not been diagnosed will be mislabelled :

  1. Lazy
  2. Sloppy
  3. Slow

WHO DO YOUR CONTACT FOR HELP IF YOU FEEL YOUR CHILD HAS DYSGRAPHIA?

Contact your GP immediately – Your GP will arrange for your child to be assessed for dysgraphia. Your GP will then arrange for your child to have the correct support, medication, therapy and treatment to manage the condition. They will also inform you of any lifestyle changes you may need to make and refer you for further help if you need it.

Contact the school SEN department – The SEN department (special educational needs) at school will take your concerns seriously and help you. Please read the next section below.

IS  DYSGRAPHIA CONSIDERED A SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEED (SEN)?

A child suffering from dysgraphia can be considered as one with special educational needs (SEN) if the issues the child is suffering from make education and learning much more difficult than other children of the same age. 

Talk to the SEN department at your child’s school. There will be a special teacher there called a SENCO (special SEN coordinator) who looks after the welfare of all SEN children at the school and they will be able to advise you further.

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITY.

WHERE CAN YOU AS A PARENT TALK, GET HELP AND ADVICE?

You can contact NSPCC – If your child has dysgraphia you can contact the NSPCC and speak to them about your concerns. If the child is in danger they will call the police. 

LINK TO WEBSITE FOR NSPCC – CONTACT US

You can contact FAMILY LIVES – Family lives was previously known as parentline.  You can speak to them about your concerns that your child has dysgraphia. 

LINK TO WEBSITE FOR FAMILY LIVES – CONTACT US 

You can contact SUPPORTLINE – Supportline can provide confidential emotional support over the phone about your concerns if your child has dysgraphia. Their helpline number is 01708 765 200. You can also email them.

LINK TO WEBSITE FOR SUPPORTLINE – CONTACT US 

You can contact your local authority child services – You can call them directly or look on their website to see if there are any local support groups where you can get support.

LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBSITE TO FIND YOUR LOCAL AUTHORITY

You can contact other organisations – 

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE 16 – CONNECT WITH CHARITABLE ORGANISATIONS THAT COULD HELP YOU.

WHERE CAN YOUR CHILD TALK, GET HELP AND ADVICE?

Your child can contact CHILDLINE – If your child has dysgraphia and they need to talk to someone, they can call childline.

LINK TO WEBSITE FOR CHILDLINE – CONTACT US