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Dysgraphia is like Dyslexia\u2019s cousin, it\u2019s a learning disability but in writing.\u00a0 Most of the time, when people think about Dysgraphia, they think about sloppy handwriting, but the truth is, there are a lot of ways and reasons that people struggle to write well\u2014wait, let me re-phrase that\u2014to write good enough.\u00a0 I mean, just think about the complex task of writing\u2014you need to think about what you want to say, you need to organize it, you need to write (or type) out those words one-by-one, letter-by-letter, and all the while, you\u2019re paying attention to capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and more.\u00a0 That\u2019s a pretty tall task.\u00a0 So, a lot can go wrong as students develop as writers\u2014let me name just a few.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s start with spelling.\u00a0 Over the past years, a lot of people have downplayed spelling\u2014they say that it\u2019s not that important, that older students use spell-checkers all the time, they were a bad speller but are getting by just fine, et cetera, et cetera.\u00a0 Their main point: we don\u2019t have to worry about students who struggle with spelling and we don\u2019t really need to focus on spelling.\u00a0 That just doesn\u2019t sit right with me, and here\u2019s why.\u00a0 When students can spell a lot of words automatically, without much effort or thought, then they have more energy and brainpower left to focus on all those other aspects of writing\u2014like organizing what they want to say, sequencing it, paying attention to capitalization and punctuation, and more.\u00a0 But when students can\u2019t spell many words automatically, when they need to slow down and sound out many words, then they struggle to focus on all those other aspects of writing.\u00a0 The bottom line: spelling matters.\u00a0 And students with poor spelling are at risk for developing Dysgraphia.<\/p>\n
I know this one is obvious, but many students struggle to write because of poor fine motor skills.\u00a0 Physically writing is just plain harder for them.\u00a0 It\u2019s hard for them to write letters with consistent shape, size, and orientation.\u00a0 It\u2019s hard for them to space letters both within the same word and between words.\u00a0 Writing is sloppy, labored, and oftentimes these students avoid writing or just write the bare minimum to get by.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Writing is hard work for them.\u00a0 It\u2019s cognitively taxing.\u00a0 Think about writing a paragraph about your favorite game.\u00a0 Now think about doing that with your left hand.\u00a0 Not pretty\u2014at least if you\u2019re right-handed.<\/p>\n
And there\u2019s more reasons that students struggle to write, a lot more.\u00a0 And that\u2019s why we complete Dysgraphia testing\u2014to understand those reasons.\u00a0 Because the truth is this: oftentimes students with Dysgraphia have two or more weaknesses that explain their struggles in writing.\u00a0 Because\u2014as is often the case with learning disabilities\u2014a weakness in one area can typically be overcome with good teaching and good effort.\u00a0 But, when two or more weaknesses are present, these typically won\u2019t suffice, and often students need more explicit, direct, and expert instruction.<\/p>\n
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Psychologists diagnose Dysgraphia. \u00a0And that\u2019s really it.\u00a0 Now, there\u2019s a lot of psychologists out there, and my recommendation\u2014if you\u2019re considering an evaluation\u2014is to go to someone with good experience.\u00a0 Experience in the schools, experience testing, experience writing reports in a way that parents and teachers can understand.\u00a0\u00a0And sure, you might have other questions, like whether you should get a neuropsychological evaluation, or whether you should ask for an evaluation through the public schools.\u00a0 Either way, I\u2019d be happy to chat for a few minutes or answer a question or two over email.<\/p>\n
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Perhaps the biggest three risk factors for Dysgraphia include poor spelling, poor and\/or labored handwriting, and attention problems.\u00a0 Yes, it\u2019s common for students with ADHD to have difficulty with writing.\u00a0 In total nearly 50% of students with ADHD also have a learning disability.\u00a0 And, because writing demands such intense attention and multi-tasking, it\u2019s never surprising to me when a student with ADHD also struggles to write.\u00a0 Especially as they grow older, as writing tasks become longer, and as they\u2019re expected to plan and organize more and more.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, Dysgraphia often goes undiagnosed.\u00a0 And there are a few reasons for that.\u00a0 First of all, starting in kindergarten, most schools and educators put a BIG focus on reading development.\u00a0 Not that this is bad, but it shouldn\u2019t be at the expense of writing.\u00a0 In all the elementary schools I\u2019ve worked at, there\u2019s only been a small fraction that have supported struggling writers\u2014and even when they did, it was only a student here and another student there.\u00a0 It was rare.\u00a0 And, think what you want to think about end-of-year state testing.\u00a0 But, here\u2019s more proof that writing isn\u2019t a priority in Virginia schools.\u00a0 The first year that Virginia students take an end-of-year standardized writing test\u2014eighth grade.\u00a0 Yes, eighth grade.\u00a0 Reading and math start in third grade.\u00a0 So, if you or your child are struggling to write, it\u2019s never too late or too early to at least ask questions\u2014could this be Dysgraphia?<\/p>\n
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Dysgraphia testing includes two parts: testing academic skills and testing cognitive or thinking skills.\u00a0 This last part, testing cognitive skills, is really the bread-and-butter of the evaluation.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Because oftentimes we know that a student is struggling in writing, but cognitive testing helps us understand why<\/em>.\u00a0 Testing usually includes two in-person sessions of three to four hours.\u00a0 Yes, that\u2019s a lot of time, so we take plenty of breaks (especially for our younger students).\u00a0 Additionally, it\u2019s important for me to get information from both parents and teachers (when appropriate).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Have questions about the evaluation process, or are you ready to schedule an appointment?\u00a0 You can call, email, or fill out a contact form here<\/a>?\u00a0 Curious about the cost of a Dysgraphia evaluation?\u00a0 Check out my fees page<\/a>.\u00a0 Know that we have offices in Richmond, Charlottesville, and Harrisonburg.\u00a0<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”center” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”] Dysgraphia Testing Richmond, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg What is Dysgraphia? Dysgraphia is like Dyslexia\u2019s cousin, it\u2019s a learning disability but in writing.\u00a0 Most of the time, when people think about Dysgraphia, they think about sloppy handwriting, but the truth is, there are a lot of ways and reasons that people struggle to write well\u2014wait, let me […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" This is an example page. It's different from a blog post because it will stay in one place and will show up in your site navigation (in most themes). Most people start with an About page that introduces them to potential site visitors. It might say something like this:<\/p> Hi there! I'm a bike messenger by day, aspiring actor by night, and this is my website. I live in Los Angeles, have a great dog named Jack, and I like pi\u00f1a coladas. (And gettin' caught in the rain.)<\/p><\/blockquote> ...or something like this:<\/p> The XYZ Doohickey Company was founded in 1971, and has been providing quality doohickeys to the public ever since. Located in Gotham City, XYZ employs over 2,000 people and does all kinds of awesome things for the Gotham community.<\/p><\/blockquote>Other questions about testing<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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