What Is Dysgraphia Spelling?

Students with dysgraphia, a learning disability that hampers written expression, often struggle with spelling because they write letters out of order, compose words backwards, leave out sections of words, or omit punctuation.

Causes

• Because writing links many complex brain functions, dysgraphia can arise from any weakness in that link, including injury to parts of the brain.

  People diagnosed with dysgraphia may exhibit dyslexia, auditory or language processing weakness, attention deficit disorder, visual processing issues, or sequential processing weakness.

Signs and Symptoms

• Dysgraphic writers display early signs of spelling challenges by mixing up lowercase and uppercase letters, using illegible handwriting, holding a pen awkwardly, and appearing frustrated as they organize words and thoughts on paper.

  Students with dysgraphia often show a marked gap between oral and written understanding--communicating thoughtfully through speech but unable to do the same on the page. Their writing ability does not appear to match their intelligence.

Strategies

• Successfully dealing with spelling dysgraphia takes time, effort, and a strong support system of students, parents, and educators.

  Strategies include outlining thoughts before writing, dictating ideas into a tape recorder, practicing keyboard skills instead of handwriting, and using computer programs to check spelling.

Research

• Although dysgraphia poses a lifelong challenge, research shows that people can deal effectively with this learning disability and other related conditions. When properly diagnosed, students quickly leave behind their previous labels of "slow" or "backwards," moving forward to become confident achievers using alternate learning styles.

People with Dysgraphia

• Famous people with dsylexic dysgraphia include Pres. George Washington, Gen. George Patton, scientist Albert Einstein, and mystery writer Agatha Christie.