Why is my child struggling to write in school?
Parents often come head to head with their child's teacher when the word "lazy" is brought in. After attempts to decipher illegible handwriting and writing assignments that just don't make sense, the teacher and parent may find themselves at a loss. What is rarely mentioned is that these difficulties are largely associated with Dysgraphia. For the most part, students in classrooms have developed motor skills that allow them to shape and draw letters appropriately.
However, for students who have Dysgraphia, this task seems nearly impossible. While it may be brushed off at a young age, more signs may begin to show by age 9. Children who have Dysgraphia struggle with the physical task of handwriting along with expression what they are thinking in their writing in a clear legible way.
How do I know it isn't laziness?
In busy, everyday life, it is common to label the child rather than fix the problem. However, if the signs point towards Dysgraphia, it is recommended that the child is tested by a psychologist to fully diagnose the problem.
Some warning signs you can look for:
awkward pencil grip
avoiding writing
struggles with forming shapes associated with letters
spacing issues
writing on the lines provided
difficulties organizing thoughts (as well as keeping track of them)
a difference between what was orally expressed and written response
If you are able to recognize any of these repeating traits in your child it may be suggested that you look into a handwriting program to transform your child into a confident writer.
Okay, my child has Dysgraphia... What next?
Once you child has been diagnosed with Dysgraphia, the next step to help to improve the motor skills involved with handwriting. To do this, you want to find the right individualized intensive program. Here at Arcadia Literacy and Learning we pride ourselves on creating individualized plans to tackle specific struggles in a fun and productive learning environment. After we create a unique plan for your child with Dysgraphia, we implement it! Our approach uses multisensory intervention to engage the child and work with them one on one to improve their writing in a variety of different tasks at their own pace. By using the multisensory approach, the child leaves us with a strong foundation of handwriting that will benefit them in and out of the classroom.
We encourage you to click the Learning Programs tab at the top of the page to out more information on the handwriting program that we recommend for students with Dysgraphia.