Writing difficulty is one of the most common problems found in children at the age of the beginning of handwriting. Writing difficulty in children can be presented in many forms like handwriting difficulty in children, poor pencil grasp, and many other forms. In this article, we are going to discuss the difference between writing difficulty and handwriting difficulty in children, types of dysgraphia, dysgraphia treatment, and activities to treat writing difficulties.

What is writing difficulty in children?

Writing difficulty in children is a neurological disorder, it can occur in adults also after head trauma or concussion. Writing difficulty in children is characterized by writing mistakes, and poor handwriting, and may be accompanied by poor pencil grasp or not with other signs. Writing difficulty in children or dysgraphia may be accompanied by other learning difficulties like ADHD, and autism, and may commonly be accompanied by dyslexia.

What is the difference between writing difficulty and handwriting difficulty in children?

Writing difficulty in children is a broad neurological syndrome that comprises a lot of symptoms, and one of them is handwriting difficulty in children. Handwriting difficulty in children can be accompanied by poor pencil grasp or not and may be found in the written word only, or found in the written and copied one.

Does the presence of handwriting difficulty in children ensure the presence of writing difficulty?

Handwriting difficulty is consistently found in the writing difficulty disorder, but the presence of handwriting difficulty in children alone without the other signs of the writing difficulty is not evidence of the presence of writing difficulty disorder. Also writing difficulty in children is considered a neurological disorder while handwriting difficulty is not a neurological disorder.

What are the signs of writing difficulty in children?

The first sign of writing difficulty disorder is handwriting difficulty in children who are beginning to write. Signs of writing difficulty in children have to be well addressed in order to reach dysgraphia treatment. Other signs are found as;

• Inability to write letters in the correct manner
• Inability to form proper spacing between letters and words.
• Improper sizing of the letters and words
• Incorrect spelling of the words
• Writing at a lower speed than usual
• Presence of mistakes in grammar 
• Inability to form correct sentences
• Handwriting difficulty in children may be found in the written word only, or in the written and copied works.

Accurate observation of the signs of dysgraphia will help guide the right diagnosis and the correct treatment of dysgraphia. Different types of dysgraphia have different collections of these signs together. Early diagnosis is essential also to help your child to reach the best academic level.

Types of dysgraphia

• Dyslexic dysgraphia, this type of dysgraphia is accompanied by dyslexia also, which is characterized by the inability to write or read new words.
• Motor dysgraphia, which is characterized by motor abnormalities represented by poor pencil grasp.
• Spatial dysgraphia is represented by abnormal estimation of the spaces between words.
• Lexical dysgraphia, this type of dysgraphia is characterized by the inability to correctly spell words with silent letters.
• Phonological dysgraphia, this type of dysgraphia is characterized by the inability to spell new words with abnormal spelling.

Diagnosis of writing difficulty in Children

The early diagnosis of writing difficulty in children, and the identification of different types of dysgraphia are essential for the treatment of dysgraphia, and for searching for activities to treat writing difficulties (dysgraphia). The steps of diagnosis of dysgraphia can be as follows;

• Taking family history and searching for the presence of types of dysgraphia, and other types of learning difficulties.
• Check the presence of other learning difficulties like ADHD, and autism, as the presence of dysgraphia is usually consistent with these syndromes. Also the presence of dyslexia, as is commonly found with dysgraphia.
• Asking about the child’s level in the school and asking teachers about him.
• Making some tests to ensure the diagnosis, and to know the advancement of the case, and the type of dysgraphia found.   

Dysgraphia treatment

As we mentioned before, dysgraphia needs an early diagnosis as much as possible. It also needs cooperation between the family and the school teachers to get the best results in the treatment plan. The dysgraphia treatment involves the use of treatment strategies, and activities to treat writing difficulties. The plan of dysgraphia treatment should be placed by psychotherapists and psychological health specialists.

Dysgraphia Treatment Tips.

• Give the child with dysgraphia extra time to finish his writing and copying work. It helps him get better self-confidence about his abilities.
• Give the child extra training on writing, and train him on reading what he is writing. This will help him correct his spelling.
• Provide tools that may help your child write better, like papers and pencils that may help better pencil grasp and spacing between words.
• Guide the child to the right sitting position.
• Decreasing the written work as much as possible, and replacing it with printed work, or electronic work.
• Give your child support and encouragement to help him overcome his disappointment or failure.
• Be patient, as the dysgraphia treatment takes a lot of time to get an observed improvement.

Activities to treat handwriting difficulties

• Continuous training on writing.
• You can begin your handwriting practice from books that contain dots on the shape of the letters to follow.
• Use the applications and videos that teach the art of calligraphy.

Activities to treat writing difficulties in children 

There are a lot of activities that are used for dysgraphia treatment, Examples of these activities are as follows;

• Use the applications that give training on reading and writing at the same time, by helping the child write the word and listening to what he is writing.
• Using training books that contain coloring letters.
• Help him to read what he is writing, this will improve spelling and decrease grammar mistakes.
• Use the storytelling method to help your child form sentences from simple words.
• Use cartoon paper, foam, and clay to form the shapes of the letters.

Dysgraphia is usually accompanied by dyslexia, so the treatment plan for dysgraphia should involve treatment strategies for dyslexia also. Dysgraphia treatment takes a lot of time, but early diagnosis and modernization of the different types of dysgraphia can improve the case.   

Elmadrasah.com Academy has different courses and consultations about learning difficulties in children. Our courses and consultations are given by a group of experts in psychological health. Our courses and consultations are held online which gives you the chance to get them whenever you want.