What are the symptoms of dysgraphia in children? Can a child overcome dysgraphia? How do you teach a child with dysgraphia? Can dysgraphia get better with age?
Have you ever heard about this type of learning disability in children? If your kid finds it challenging to organise their writing, you might want to read what we learned about dysgraphia.
To put things simply, dysgraphia affects your child’s writing ability. It doesn’t directly affect their intellectual capabilities. However, it does take them time to hold writing materials properly.
Like most learning disabilities, it’s connected to a kind of neurological condition. It also affects the ability of a person’s brain to send, receive, and process information.
Kids with learning disabilities commonly struggle in writing, speaking, reading, listening, and general comprehension.
Learning disabilities include disorders like dysgraphia, dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dyspraxia. People must know that there could be a possibility for these disorders to coexist with one another.
Ways To Confirm Your Child Is Struggling With Dysgraphia
The common people who can quickly notice if a child has learning disabilities would primarily be the parents and their teachers. Concerning this, some signs may help you confirm if your child is struggling with dysgraphia.
Experts identify the symptoms related to dysgraphia in two categories: (1) motor weakness and (2) cognitive challenges. There could be times when a child might struggle with just one area or could also be both of them.
In terms of motor issues, here are signs that you must observe with your child:
- Experiencing writing fatigue. For kids with dysgraphia, writing can be tiring that could sometimes lead to pain or cramps.
- Struggling with forming letters, making them the same size, and spacing them correctly. There are instances when letters can be clustered together without spaces or not in a straight line.
- Children suffering from dysgraphia commonly have trouble holding a pencil. It can be usual for them to hold pens awkwardly, or they sometimes need to grip it extra light.
On the other hand, here are symptoms on the cognitive side that you may notice if your child is struggling with dysgraphia:
- Kids suffering from dysgraphia have trouble organising their writing. There could be instances when they might have amazing ideas but are having a hard time writing them on a paper in a structured and coherent way they can.
- They may also have a hard time writing mechanics, including spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, and grammar.
If you want to confirm your child has dysgraphia, pay more attention to pattern and consistency regarding the symptoms you observe. The more consistent things get, the more essential for you to become concerned as things may already be severe.
Image Source: iStock
How Soon Is Dysgraphia Diagnosed?
Early detection is key when it comes to dysgraphia. Optimal outcomes in managing this disability are linked to early testing, enabling the implementation of effective writing strategies.
The signs of dysgraphia may manifest as early as 5 years old or emerge later in young adulthood, with the timing varying based on the individual’s unique experience with the condition. Being attuned to these signs and seeking early evaluation can empower parents and educators to provide timely support.
Few Things You Should Know About Dysgraphia Among Kids
As mentioned, dysgraphia is a kind of learning disorder, more common in children, that impairs their ability to write.
Concerning this, parents must remember that having learning disabilities means a child is not intelligent or creative. Many studies in the past were able to prove that children with dysgraphia can learn to write. There are many instances when they become more capable of doing better academically.
The common signs of dysgraphia can be observed through their motor issues and cognitive side. It would be best for parents to closely monitor their children as soon as they notice these symptoms of dysgraphia.
Children struggling with dysgraphia may experience either motor or cognitive side. However, there can be some cases when a child may experience it all at once.
Image Source: iStock
Navigating Dysgraphia: Can It Be Improved Over Time?
Parents and individuals grappling with dysgraphia often wonder if there is a prospect for improvement. While dysgraphia itself cannot be “fixed” in the traditional sense, targeted interventions and strategies can significantly enhance writing abilities and mitigate the impact of the condition.
Moreover, as individuals with dysgraphia age, some may naturally develop coping mechanisms and adaptive strategies, leading to improvements in writing skills. While the degree of improvement varies from person to person, early identification and tailored interventions play a crucial role in fostering progress.
It’s essential for individuals with dysgraphia and their support networks to explore and implement effective strategies that align with their unique needs and challenges.
How You Can Support Your Child if They Have Dysgraphia
Once you confirm that your child is diagnosed with dysgraphia, do not be dismayed. There are a lot of ways parents can support their children suffering from dysgraphia.
Always keep in mind that early intervention is the best way you can help your child. You can help your child handle their learning disabilities through the following:
- Help your child to write at home
- Ask for adaptive technologies at school
- Allow them always to feel emotional support from adults, especially their parents
Kids who are experiencing learning disabilities like dysgraphia may often feel frustrated. Aside from that, there are cases when things could lead to developing anxiety or low self-confidence.
Fortunately, young children may be able to overcome this kind of struggle when they receive the right amount of support from their parents. They must know and feel that they get support not just at home but also in school.
As a result, they can effectively manage their learning disability and keep up with kids the same age as them. Kids with dysgraphia can also excel in school when they get the proper support they need. Eventually, they will gain self-esteem and will soon be able to express their ideas in mind with confidence.
Image Source: iStock
Here at theAsianparent Singapore, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advice or medical treatment. theAsianparent Singapore is not responsible for those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend consulting your doctor for clearer information.
