Dysgraphia definition and Causes

Dysgraphia Definition and Causes

Dysgraphia definition – a learning disability that impairs the fine motor skills needed for writing. It is a neurological disorder impacting all writing skills like handwriting, the spacing between words and sizing, legibility, and spelling. This set of skills is known as transcription skills. Trouble expressing oneself in writing is not particularly a part of dysgraphia.

However, where transcription requires an enormous amount of effort, one may forget what they wanted to say in the first place. Hence, it impacts a child’s ability to express themselves through the written word while making the process of writing laboriously slow, resulting in a dislike for or extreme resistance towards writing. This frustration with the act of writing among those who suffer from dysgraphia is often misunderstood as laziness on the child’s part when, in fact, the underlying factors for this behaviour are something entirely different. Children with dysgraphia have difficulties with handwriting and tasks involving fine motor skills like buttoning and cutting with scissors.

Dysgraphia definition and Causes – Causes

The causes of dysgraphia are not definitively known. Although genetics and family history are often cited as risk factors, sometimes brain damage at a later stage in life may also result in dysgraphia-like symptoms in adults (agraphia). Children with dysgraphia process words and letters in a way that makes it difficult for them to move their hands and fingers to write. Their working memory finds it challenging to remember written words permanently. Dysgraphia generally coexists in children who have ADHD or other learning disabilities.