Dysgraphia: A Resource Guide FS Thompson

Transcript:Dysgraphia: A Resource Guide FS Thompson:
Dysgraphia: A Resource Guide FS Thompson Dysgraphia Origins of the word: According to Berninger & Wolf (2009), the word ‘dysgraphia’ comes from the Greek dys (δυσ-), meaning ‘impaired’ (or ‘bad’) and graphia (γραφία), meaning ‘written’. Definition: “Impairment of the ability to write, usually caused by brain dysfunction or disease.” FROM STEDMAN’S MEDICAL DICTIONARY Dysgraphia Signs and symptoms According to a variety of sources, a person with dysgraphia: Has difficulty thinking and writing at the same time (taking notes / creative writing) May have illegible printing and cursive writing May show inconsistencies, e.g. mixtures of print and cursive, upper and lower case, or irregular sizes, shapes or slant of letters Has unfinished words and / or letters, or omits words and / or letters Has inconsistent spacing between words and letters Exhibits strange wrist, body or paper position Has difficulty pre-visualizing letter formation Shows poor spatial planning on paper Copies or writes in a slow and labored way, and /or; Has a cramped or unusual grip (and may complain of a sore hand). Dysgraphia Symptoms of dysgraphia by age group Messy handwriting, often illegible even by the author, is a symptom in all age groups. Children (0-6): May have an awkward pencil grip, and / or an overly tight grip May show signs of slow and labored writing The child’s writing may feature inconsistent letter shape and size Writing may feature an inconsistent sequence of strokes to draw the same letter / number The child’s writing may feature inconsistent spacing (between letters, words and sentences [the child cannot stay on / between the lines]) The child has a poor understanding of upper and lower case letters. Children (7-15): The child has a weak comprehension of writing (concentration is on letter formation) The child omits or does not finish words in sentences or the sentence itself. Adults: The adult has a dislike for writing, including short notes or cards The adult encounters difficulty with sentence structure and grammar There is a gap between understanding and the ability to convey that understanding in print. Gen George S. Patten Jnr. Dysgraphia Types of dysgraphia Dyslexic dysgraphia Spontaneously written work is illegible, copied work quite good, while spelling is bad. Finger tapping speed - used to identify fine motor problems - is normal, which indicates that the deficit, “does not likely stem from cerebellar damage”. A dyslexic dysgraphic does not necessarily have dyslexia, while dyslexia