Dysgraphia Definition

Dysgraphia Definition

‘Dysgraphia means having severe problems with handwriting, which is associated with extreme difficulty with fine motor skills and/or problems with the speed of processing – in spite of having a normal intellectual ability.’

© *2019 Dr David Edward Cowell, BSc,. MPhil, PhD.
Chartered Psychologist
Life Member of the Royal Society of Medicine.
&
Maria Chivers
(*Updated from 2008)

It is essential to recognise dysgraphia as soon as possible before it impacts a child’s self-esteem. Just as there is no single set of signs characterising dyslexia, there is no one cause of dysgraphia. The earlier dysgraphia is diagnosed, the easier it is to ensure the student receives the correct support at home, school, or the workplace. Although there is no cure for dysgraphia, proper tuition can alleviate these problems.

These difficulties often result in considerable frustration, considering that people with dysgraphia are usually of average intelligence.

Assessments & Testing by Educational Psychologists

World Health Organisation (WHO)

Dysgraphia

“Developmental learning disorder with impairment in written expression is characterized by significant and persistent difficulties in learning academic skills related to writing, such as spelling accuracy, grammar and punctuation accuracy, and organization and coherence of ideas in writing.”

– World Health Organization, International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision

20^th July 2023

International Dysgraphia Awareness Day (IDAD)