“My Kid Struggles with Writing – How Can I Help?”
It’s normal for young kids to write some backwards “R”s or forget to leave space between their words. But for some kids, writing challenges persist beyond the normal learning curve. These struggles are sometimes caused by a writing disability called dysgraphia, which impairs a person’s ability to express their thoughts on paper. Without support, dysgraphia can cause a child to become stressed and fall behind in school.
So what’s a parent to do? If you think your child may have a writing disability, ask yourself these 7 questions:
1. Are they showing the symptoms?
Common signs of dysgraphia include:
Awkward pencil grip
Significant difference in spoken understanding & written understanding topics
Trouble writing within lines
Spelling well on tests but not in sentences
Difficulty with similarly shaped letters like “p & q” or “b & d”
Poor spatial planning
Irregular letter sizes
Illegible writing
Poor sentence organization
Misuse of capitalization and punctuation
Omitting words or leaving them incomplete
Writing the bare minimum, despite being able to verbally express elaborate ideas\
2. Could other issues be a factor?
While dysgraphia can occur on its own, other disorders can also contribute to writing troubles including autism spectrum disorders, visual or auditory processing disorders, Tourette Syndrome, ADHD , or dyslexia . Effectively supporting your child starts with receiving an accurate diagnosis. An evaluation from a diagnostician such as a Psychologist can help you determine how to best support them.
3. What can their school offer?
If your child receives a dysgraphia diagnosis, they may qualify for an educational plan such as an IEP or 504 Plan to gain accommodations in school. These accommodations can help level the playing field by reducing obstacles that dysgraphia presents. Accommodations may include:
Use of computers to type
Alternatives to handwritten assignments (i.e. - video or tape-recorded answers)
Use of pencil grips, graphic organizers, or slant boards
Special paper with highlighted lines, raised lines, or wide ruling
4. What other therapies could help?
In addition to school supports, there are several therapies that have been shown to empower kids toward improved writing. An occupational therapist can work with your child to improve their fine-motor skills. A speech and language therapist can help with your child’s grammar and sentence sequencing. An optometrist can identify if any visual processing disorders are contributing to their challenges and provide vision therapy.
5. How can I help at home?
You can support your child by:
Having them complete mazes to practice writing within lines
Strengthen their hand muscles by playing with clay
Connecting dots to learn letter shapes
Have them form letters in manipulatives such as slime or hair gel – feeling the resistance will reinforce each letter’s form
Provide wide-ruled paper with bold lines
Trace rule lines with glue – once it dries, your kid will have “speedbumps” that remind them to keep their letters within the lines
Download & print this “space kid” tool to help your child improve their letter spacing
6. Are their abilities being appreciated?
It’s important for parents and educators to understand that dysgraphia doesn’t impact a child’s intelligence. Many kids with dysgraphia have no problem coming up with bright ideas or expressing themselves verbally - they just struggle with putting those ideas on paper. Unfortunately, kids with dysgraphia are often mistaken for being lazy or incapable and are placed in classes based on their writing performance rather than their intellect. This can cause them to be under stimulated and develop negative feelings about school.
Our Diagnosticians can evaluate your child and provide recommendations for effective academic supports.
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7. Is their future written in stone?
Your kid may have had writing challenges up to this point, but their future is still unwritten! Our Psychologists can provide diagnostic testing to assess for dysgraphia and guide you through the next steps to unlocking your child’s potential.
So you know you need help, but aren’t sure how to find the right help?
Picking a therapist or type of therapy can be confusing, and “trial and error” with the wrong therapist can cause many families to feel overwhelmed and give up on seeking help.
Our Diagnosticians can provide psychological testing to remove the
guess-work and guide you on your best path toward mental wellness.
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More about Variations Psychology
Variations Psychology is a group practice specializing in diagnostic testing to identify psychological disorders and conditions that affect learning.
Our comprehensive evaluations test for conditions that impact mental health and development such as ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, depression, anxiety, learning disorders, and developmental delays.
In addition to diagnostic services, we offer Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs) of K-12 students to assess needs for accommodations in school. IEEs provide an objective second opinion on existing IEP and 504 Plans.
For K-12 and post-secondary students, we offer evaluations to assess needs for accommodations on standardized tests, college entrance exams (e.g. - SAT, ACT, AP Exams), and graduate and professional licensing exams (e.g. - MCAT, LSAT, GRE, CBEST, NCLEX, GMAT, CA Cosmetology Exam,
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References:
Dysgraphia. (n.d.) Learning Disabilities Association of America. Retrieved from https://ldaamerica.org/types-of-learning-disabilities/dysgraphia/
Dysgraphia Information Page (n.d.) The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Retrieved from https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Dysgraphia-Information-Page
Dysgraphia: Problems with Writing (n.d.) Synapse. Retrieved from http://www.autism-help.org/comorbid-dysgraphia-autism.htm
Dysgraphia: What You Need to Know (n.d.). Understood. Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/dysgraphia/understanding-dysgraphia
Eckerd, M. (n.d.) Dysgraphia: An Overview. Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities. Retrieved from https://www.smartkidswithld.org/first-steps/what-are-learning-disabilities/dysgraphia-an-overview/
Hamman, J. (2018). Creating a Dysgraphia-Friendly Classroom. The George Lucas Educational Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/article/creating-dysgraphia-friendly-classroom?gclid=CjwKCAjwk93rBRBLEiwAcMapUWF6kIMeTgbbiPqQJ-PEi2rgmBgUEc4gwx38GmVskePHMY_Ga5y80hoCYVQQAvD_BwE
Kelly, Kate. (n.d.) 8 Tools for Kids with Dysgraphia. Understood. Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/dysgraphia/8-tools-for-kids-with-dysgraphia#slide-1
Morin, A. (n.d.) 6 Uses of Multi-Sensory Techniques for Teaching Handwriting. Understood. Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/partnering-with-childs-school/instructional-strategies/6-multisensory-techniques-for-teaching-handwriting
Shinn. M.M. (2018). 7 Strategies for Fostering a Growth Mindset in Your Child. Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/7-strategies-for-fostering-a-growth-mindset-in-your-child
Shinn. M.M. (2018). ADHD or Just Kids Being Kids? Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/adhd-or-just-kids-being-kids
Shinn. M.M. (2019). Could My Teen Have Autism? Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/could-my-teen-have-autism
Shinn. M.M. (2018). Does My Child Need Accommodations for the SAT/ACT? Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/does-my-child-need-accommodations-for-the-sat-act
Shinn. M.M. (2018). I Can’t Spell Dyslexia – Do I Have It? Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/i-cant-spell-dyslexia-do-i-have-it
The Space Kid. (n.d.) Understood. Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/~/media/c7c210ae460448b68813276acc41e823.pdf
Understanding Dysgraphia (n.d.) The International Dyslexia Association. Retrieved from https://dyslexiaida.org/understanding-dysgraphia/
How to Cite This Blog Article:
Shinn. M.M. (2019). Why is My Kid Struggling So Hard with Math? Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/my-kid-struggles-with-writing-how-can-i-help