Helping Someone With Dysgraphia Improve Their Corresponding Skills
Dysgraphia is a learning disability that affects handwriting and fine motor skills needed to write down thoughts. When someone suffers from dysgraphia, they will most likely want to work on options to help relieve the condition so others can understand the messages they are trying to convey. Here are the signs of this disorder in an attempt to determine if this is the cause for someone's inability to write legibly, as well as some methods one can use to help someone with this condition so they are better understood when they use writing as a method to correspond with others.
Knowing The Signs Of Dysgraphia
When someone suffers from this condition, they have difficulty transferring their thoughts onto paper in a positive way. Because of this difficulty, they may falter with their writing by doing some of the following:
- adding spaces in the wrong spots within text
- writing so it is unreadable to others
- writing with an inappropriate mixture of upper-case and lower-case letters
- turning letters around, for example using the letter "b" instead of a letter "d" within text
- writing with unfinished or missing words within the text
- showing difficulty thinking and writing at the same time
- writing very slowly
- complaining of a hand that hurts because of grasping the writing utensil while trying to write down thoughts
Getting Help For This Condition
Having an evaluation done by a professional is recommended in order to make a positive diagnosis of this condition. The clinician will observe the person as they attempt to write, noting their fine motor skills during the process. They will then evaluate the finished written product to determine whether there are learning differences present. An individualized plan will be constructed to help the person improve their fine motor and cognitive skills so they can work together without difficulty. This will often be done by over-teaching letters to the person so they are able to write them down with their eyes closed. Using cursive is also a great way for someone to improve their skills as there is less chance in writing an incorrect letter, since there is a constant flow in writing each word from beginning to end.
Methods That May Help With Writing Skills
There are a few ways the person can get their thoughts out to others without the embarrassment of struggling with paper and pen. Teachers will often allow a student to do oral tests instead of written ones if this condition has been confirmed. The use of a word processor to type out text instead of necessitating handwriting skills can also be useful in allowing the person to convey thoughts effectively.
If oral or typed methods are not possible, the person may fare better using wide-ruled paper so they have ample space to write. Providing them with pencil grips can also be helpful as it will help their hand become less likely to become cramped from a tight grip.