Dysgraphia facts for kids
Dysgraphia is a learning difficulty that makes it hard for people to write clearly and correctly. It's not about being lazy or not trying hard enough. People with dysgraphia often know what they want to write and can move their hands. But their brain has trouble telling their hand how to form letters and words on paper.
What is Dysgraphia?
Dysgraphia is a condition that makes writing very difficult. It means a person has trouble putting their thoughts into written words, even if they can speak and understand language well. It's different from just having messy handwriting. People with dysgraphia have the physical ability to write, but their brain struggles with the complex steps needed for writing.
This difficulty happens because of damage or differences in the brain. Dysgraphia often appears with other conditions, like speech problems. For example, some people who have had a stroke might develop dysgraphia.
Types of Dysgraphia
There are different ways dysgraphia can show up, depending on which part of the writing process is affected:
- Lexical dysgraphia: People with this type find it hard to write words that sound similar but are spelled differently. They might struggle with words that don't follow common spelling rules.
- Phonological dysgraphia: This type makes it difficult to write new words or words they haven't seen before. They might be able to write common words, but struggle to sound out and write unfamiliar ones.
- Semantic dysgraphia: This means a person has trouble writing words that have a specific meaning, even if they know the word. They might struggle to connect the word's meaning to its written form.
- Apractical dysgraphia: This type affects the physical act of writing. People with apractical dysgraphia have trouble using their hand muscles to form letters and words, even if they know how to write them.
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Dysgraphia can be difficult to diagnose because the handwriting starts out clear and slowly degrades, making the writer appear lazy.
