Dysgraphia is a deficiency in the ability to write, primarily
handwriting, but also coherence.
[1] Dysgraphia is a transcription disability, meaning that it is a writing disorder associated with impaired handwriting,
orthographic coding, and finger sequencing (the movement of muscles required to write).
[2] It often overlaps with other learning disabilities such as
speech impairment,
attention deficit disorder, or
developmental coordination disorder.
[3] In the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), dysgraphia is characterized as a
learning disability in the category of written expression when one's writing skills are below those expected given a person's age measured through intelligence and age-appropriate education. The DSM is not clear in whether or not writing refers only to the motor skills involved in writing, or if it also includes orthographic skills and spelling.
[3]
The word
dysgraphia comes from the Greek words
dys meaning "impaired" and γραφία
graphía meaning "writing by hand".
[2]
People with dysgraphia can often write on some level and may experience difficulty with other
fine motor skills, such as tying shoes. However, dysgraphia does not affect all fine motor skills. People with dysgraphia often have unusual difficulty with handwriting and spelling
[2] which in turn can cause writing fatigue.
[3] They may lack basic grammar and spelling skills (for example, having difficulties with the letters p, q, b, and d), and often will write the wrong word when trying to formulate their thoughts on paper. The disorder generally emerges when the child is first introduced to writing.
[2] Adults, teenagers, and children alike are all subject to dysgraphia.
[5]
