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    Dysgraphia is a learning disability that presents as an inability or difficulty in putting thoughts into written form. The most common definition of dysgraphia is severe to inadequate legibility in handwriting. Many times one of the first complaints made is that poor writing is a function of behavior – the teacher or parent feels the child can write legibly but won’t.

   Other behavior characteristics which are applied to dysgraphia include: distractibility, lack of motivation, impulsivity, lack of persistence etc. A cluster of behaviors such as these lead many teachers and professionals to pursue a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (ADHD) or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).

   An important diagnostic variable, to take into consideration when diagnosing dysgraphia, is to define what triggers these inappropriate behaviors. In other words what is the antecedent - when do these behaviors occur. A child with ADHD or ADD is likely to exhibit the same behaviors across all settings and activities. A student with dysgraphia most often exhibits these behaviors when required to produce written products.

   Diagnosing dysgraphia is a bit confusing. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) allows each state the opportunity to define its’ own criteria for applying the label of dysgraphia. Most of the time this works well but it does create difficulties for students who move from one state to another. A student may qualify for special education and related services related to learning disabilities with dysgraphia in one state but if they move to another state they may not qualify for special education and related services.

   In general though, most students with a diagnosis of learning disabilities have difficulties with written expression and thus could meet the diagnosis of dysgraphia. Although this is true, dysgraphia is rarely applied in public schools because of a lack of generalized measurable criteria.

   Sequential processing abilities are impaired in students with dysgraphia and as a result they have difficulty sequencing letters, words, and thoughts. Their written work is filled with spelling and punctuation errors and they often co-mingle letters and numbers in mathematic formulas.   More >>

	Dyscalculia
	Dyslexia
	Nonverbal Learning Disability
	Signs and Symptoms of Learning Disability